“Enhanced is the position of employees in today’s job market“, Minister of Labor and Social Security, Niki Kerameosin an interview with ERT’s “Press Talk” yesterday.

As he typically said, a few years ago, the unemployment rate was 20%, and now it has fallen to 8%. “Therefore, there is greater competition and the position of the employee is very enhanced. Now, it’s easier for someone to find a job than a business to find a worker. This is the reality today in the labor market“, The responsible minister noted.

To a question about the new labor billMrs Kerameos replied as follows: ‘It is a bill that has two basic pillars. The first is to strengthen workers and the latter to simplify the labor market and modernize it. The bill has really been discussed very much, but one of it, not the remaining 87. I say, because it contains, in my opinion, very important provisions, which are enhanced by employees. Let me tell you two, three examples. He sets the opportunity for a working parent to work all year four days a week, Monday to Thursday and Friday being with his child. Today, it can only do this for six months. So, it goes and expands this opportunity, especially for working parents, but not only.

Second example: The bill is extended to more beneficiaries. For many years, a woman, in order to be a beneficiary of the pregnancy and pregnancy allowance, had to have 200 stamps from the same fund, more or less from the same employer. We ask, why from him? What do we care if he has worked in one, two or three? We are interested in working. Why? Because pregnancy and pregnancy allowance is a insurance right. So whether he has worked in one, two or three, is indifferent to us. We are interested in working. Let’s go and we extend that. So, we extend the beneficiaries of the pregnancy and pregnancy allowance“

For 13 hours of work, the minister expressed her disagreement with the term 13 hours, explaining: “When one uses 13 -hour expression, it implies that everyone will work 13 hours every day of their lives. This is not the case, because it is a measure that is a feature and only for very specific days a year, up to 37 days a year. So, we’re not talking about 13 hours, as we are talking about 8 hours. The 8 hours remains. First point, then, is exceptionally only for up to 37 days a year, up to three days a month.

Today, one can work up to 13 hours, but in two employers or in three. And we ask: Why does an employee who does this to two employers and takes his motorbike and goes from one restaurant to another to work, why not be able to do it in one, so without having to move and have a 40% increase in his earnings? If you do it today to two employers, you don’t get any surcharge. It is considered your second job as part -time. Do you make you a prediction? Employers don’t want this. Why don’t they want it? Because it costs a lot. An employer has an interest in hiring a second worker rather than keeping one for overtime‘, The minister supported.

With reference to emergency work shiftMrs Kerameos noted that when the government introduced it, the debate that was taking place at that time was that it was a six -day work. “We said it is not a six -day job, it is an extraordinary shift for very specific businesses, for very specific cases, in very specific context, “the Minister said, and clarified that it is a regulation for very specific cases, which mainly concerns continuous factories. As he said, it was used by 0.1% of the country’s business branches.

Commenting on the course of unemployment, the minister emphasized the following: “15 months ago, when I took over the responsibility of the Ministry of Labor, I had said that we want a workers’ society, not an unemployed society. 15 months later, with unemployment at the lowest point of the last 17 years, I think we are on a very good way to do this. ” In fact, he also referred to the strengthening of entrepreneurship through the Public Employment Service programs (DBA). “

About the Extraversion Action “Rebrain Greece”Mrs Kerameos said this is the most moving moments she has lived in the Labor Ministry, noting that four events in London, Amsterdam, Dusseldorf and Stuttgart have already taken place and the next one is scheduled to take place in New York. “We are organizing events in various cities abroad where there is a strong Greek element. We get in touch with companies operating in Greece, highlight professional opportunities and the final decision is theirs whether they will return, it has no party sign, it is a national effort.

We have also brought a special provision, which automatically recognizes the specialization and specialty of doctors. In short, we completely remove bureaucracy. I will do whatever it goes through my hand to open this way“, The minister underlined.

For vacancies, Mrs Kerameos emphasized the importance of legal immigration. “We need legal immigration if we want to maintain this rate of growth we have, which is at 2.3%. We need human resources. We run out of the domestic tank. Of course our priority is domestic human resources but we need others»Completed the Minister of Labor.