By decision of the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Kostis Hatzidakisfollowing the relevant recommendation of the Supreme Labor Council, is declared mandatory for the entire industry the Collective Labor Agreement (CBA) of employees in the country’s hotel businesses for 2023-2024.

This means that the provisions of the Agreement, which concern, among other things, wages, benefits, arrangement of working time, etc., are extended and apply to all businesses in the sector and not only to those that signed the Agreement.

As stated in a related announcement, the Collective Labor Agreement, which is declared mandatory, provides for an increase in basic monthly wages by 5.5% from January 1, 2023 and by 5% from January 1, 2024.

The Convention, agreed between the Panhellenic Federation of Food and Tourism Workers (POEET) and the Panhellenic Hoteliers’ Federation (POX), also provides that, during the summer and winter tourist season:

  • In the framework of the working time arrangement, the condition that provided for the granting of consecutive days of weekly rest to five-day employees is abolished and the employer is given the possibility to distribute the two-day rest within the week, but intermittently. During the same periods, businesses may employ employees up to an extra hour per day without additional pay, provided that the average weekly work over a period of up to 8 weeks does not exceed 40 hours.
  • As long as occupancy exceeds 70%, employment is allowed on rest days with an additional fee equal to one day’s salary. If it is a Sunday or a holiday, the additional pay is one day’s salary, increased by 75%.

The contract concerns four categories of employees, for whom the basic salaries are, from 1/1/2023, from 835.64 euros to 911.34 euros and, from 1/1/2024, from 877.43 euros to 956.91 euro.

Basic wages are supplemented by allowances for seniority, marriage, tourism education, seasonal employment, uniform, unsanitary work, food and sleep (hotel accommodation) on a case-by-case basis.

The minimum wages also apply to employees of the same specialties who are employed by contractors, to whom the hotel business assigns work.

The Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Kostis Hatzidakis, said: “The Supreme Labor Council, with the positive attitude of the government, has given an opinion in favor of extending the application of the Collective Labor Agreement to hotel companies, sending three messages:

Firstly, that the incomes of employees in all hotel businesses are supported to a greater extent than the already increased minimum wage, due to the agreement between employers and employees.

Secondly, that the arrangement of the working time, which was so fought by the opposition and was considered as the alleged abolition of the 8 hours, when the law 4808/2021 was passed, can work positively and serve the interests of both the employer and the employee, if the two sides agree on this. Thirdly, that the government encourages the Collective Agreements of employers and employees, which are not ordered naturally, but are the result of good faith and productive negotiation, as was the case with the said sectoral agreement”.