Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 14-03-26
CONTENTS
[01] Social partners sign new collective labour agreement
[01] Social partners sign new collective labour agreement
ANA-MPA -- Greece's umbrella trade union organisation for private-sector
employees GSEE and employers' associations on Wednesday signed a new
national general collective labour agreement for the next year.
Under the new agreement, the basic terms of previous agreements such the
marriage allowance and the 13th and 14th salary in the private sector
are preserved. It was also agreed that fathers would also be able to
take time off in order to look after their children, in cases where the
mother was self-employed.
Social partners did not discuss the issue of minimum wage, which is now
set by law. Nevertheless, a special clause was introduced according to
which, if this legislation changed while the current agreement is in
effect, then direct negotiations would start regarding the wage levels
of the national collective agreement.
"We will fight to restore wages and labour relations," GSEE head Yiannis
Panagopoulos said after the meeting. He said the possibility of new
interventions in the social security system and labour relations was
"unthinkable". Referring to the reduction of the minimum wage for young
people, he pointed out the measure had failed in its stated goal, which
was to help reduce youth unemployment, with the last having multiplied
since the measure's introduction.
The new agreement is effective as of January 1, 2014 until December
31, 2014.
Labour Minister Yiannis Vroutsis welcomed the signing of the new
agreement. "This confirms the collective autonomy of the social partners
and the effective dynamics it can have when there is a spirit of maturity,
cooperation and mutual trust," he said in a statement.
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