The Minister of Labor and Social Security, Niki Kerameos, described the attitude of the opposition parties as hypocritical and pretentious, regarding the way they positioned themselves through their vote on the labor bill that was approved on Thursday, October 16.

Based on the results of the voting, over 180 MPs, i.e. 3/5 of the parliamentary body, voted in favor of 47 of the 97 articles, i.e. almost half of the bill, despite the fact that the entire opposition called for the withdrawal of the bill from the start.

The beneficial nature of the provisions included in the bill, in favor of workers and businesses, is confirmed by the number of votes they received. A typical example is the provision that provides for the extension of protection from dismissal to foster mothers as well as the provision that provides for maternity leave in foster care, which gathered 230 and 228 votes respectively. The provision that ensures the unconfiscated, inalienable and tax-free parental leave allowance also gathered a large majority with 229 votes.

Other characteristic examples that received a broad parliamentary majority are the provision that prohibits any harmful unilateral change in the case of inclusion in the digital work card with 207 positive votes. A prominent position in the voting process is occupied by the provision in favor of protection against dismissal due to refusal to provide overtime employment with a total of 200 votes, despite the untimely reactions it received during the parliamentary dialogue.

The Minister of Labor and Social Security, Niki Kerameos, stated in this regard:

“We welcome the opposition parties on the path of parliamentary rationality. In spite of the fact that from the beginning they mobilized stereotypes and inaccuracies to support their ideological perceptions, they chose, even to the last degree, to rise to the level of the circumstances required by the needs of the labor market and to vote in favor of provisions that extend and defend the rights of workers and at the same time strengthen the development of businesses. A development which is a basic condition for the creation of new jobs, from which everyone benefits.

Today’s labor market presents a particularly positive picture with unemployment falling to a 17-year low of 8.1%, new job creation reaching 500,000 over the past five years, while at the same time increasing the percentage of full-time jobs, which has exceeded 76%. To further stimulate it, targeted reform interventions are required such as those included in our labor bill, many of which recognized the opposition parties through their vote.

I have repeatedly stated, and I firmly believe, that the time has come, beyond and above parties, for us all to contribute together, through a continuous and constructive dialogue, to the progress of the country and in this case to the further development and strengthening of the labor market, away from hypocritical and pretentious perceptions”.