Reportage: Stelios Kandias
A package of arrangements for “fast track” pensions and a “significant increase” of the minimum wage was announced by the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Kostis Hatzidakis, at 7th Delphi Forumwithout however becoming more specific about the increase.
Regarding the minimum wage, he typically stated that “GDP growth will be taken into account, the need to protect workers will be taken into account, and we will decide on a significant increase in the minimum wage, I emphasize.”
“There is the well-known political motto ‘restructuring and devaluations are not announced in advance’, I will add that the increase in the minimum wage is not announced in advance,” commented Mr. Hatzidakis.
He clarified that the proposal process has started, with employers talking about 3% to 4% increase, and GSEE asking for 751 euros, ie at the level of 2009. “We are waiting for the proposal of the experts, we have not spoken. However, in 2019 we gave a symbolic increase of 2%, but with a recession, when our employers told us to freeze “.
The increase was combined with other measures, such as the reduction of insurance contributions, which led to increases of up to 500 euros and something annually reminded Kostis Hatzidakis.
Pensions
Regarding the outstanding pensions, the Minister of Labor clarified that the situation was always problematic, but it became chaotic from 2016 onwards with a “rapid mix” of mergers of funds.
The Minister of Labor called EFKA a “malicious babushka”, with funds merged with each other without coherence and infrastructure.
As he pointed out, 123,000 pensions were granted in 2019, 161,000 in 2020, 161,000 in 2021 and in 2022 they go to 224,000 pension decisions, an all-time record for EFKA and its funds before. “Issuing a pension could take years. The average is eight months “.
In this context, the Minister of Labor announced that he will bring a package of arrangements to speed up the payment of pensions.
– The first has to do with fast track pensions. EFKA will be obliged to issue the pensions within 3 months. If he does not issue it, he will rely on Atlas data and data provided by the insured. “EFKA will take them as data in order to withdraw the pension in record time”, he clarified.
-The second regulation is related to the so-called “trust pensions”. There is an insurance history, the papers are submitted, the history comes, and if the insured agrees, the pension is withdrawn immediately. Otherwise he submits remarks and based on his statement the pension is withdrawn immediately. Immediately after, the insured will be obliged to keep the documents because ex post checks will be made. The insured will have consequences if he lies.
“I believe their implementation will start after Easter,” said the Minister of Labor.
He called on some employees of EFKA “to stop licking the monkey”. We must not torture the citizens in something as basic as their pension, said the Minister of Labor.
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