As the new year unfolds, developments are expected regarding adjustments to the 12% reduction for early retirement at the age of 63.
The Labour Advisory Council clarified during yesterday’s session that the dialogue in this direction will persist.
According to information obtained by Phileleftheros, it appears that a working group will be formed to examine the suggestions and proposals of social partners regarding the proposed changes by the Ministry of Labour.
This group will include all stakeholders.
The Ministry of Labour’s announcement on the matter, which topped the agenda of yesterday’s Labour Advisory Council, states that the discussion will continue until the end of January, as confirmed by the Minister of Labour, Yiannis Panayiotou.
“Concerning the prospect of targeted relief in the proportional adjustment for early retirement, clarifications were provided, and questions regarding the proposal presented by the Government were addressed. Opinions were also presented by social partners, and it was agreed to continue the discussion, focusing on the technical aspects of the issue, with a deadline at the end of January,” the announcement said.
Nevertheless, the Minister reiterated yesterday that the suggestions proposed should not exceed the financial capabilities of his proposal, as determined by a proportional study, with capabilities ranging around €12-13 million annually.
The second item on yesterday’s agenda of the Labour Advisory Council was the revision of the National Minimum Wage, where discussions are also expected to continue until at least the end of the year.
The goal is to have an agreed-upon description for the upcoming revision of the decree, effective from January 1.
The third topic discussed yesterday concerned the expansion of benefits for self-employed individuals in the Social Security Fund, which sparked concerns and objections from almost all social partners.
However, the Minister announced that the issue would be discussed, with all opinions on the proposed bill heard.
He stated, however, that the intention is to advance the related bill for approval by the Cabinet before the end of the year, as the extension of the rights of self-employed individuals is also a commitment of the country based on the Recovery and Resilience Plan.
Nevertheless, this does not mean that the bill will be presented to the Parliament and voted on before the end of the year.
In practice, this is almost impossible, as the last plenary session of the House for legislative work for this year is scheduled for this coming Friday.
Regarding the issue of expanding benefits from the Social Security Fund for self-employed individuals, the Ministry of Labour announced yesterday that the content of the already prepared bill was presented, outlining the proposed changes we have reported on.
Based on the proposed bill, the ministry announced, self-employed individuals meeting specific benefit requirements, for which they did not have the right in the past, will now have the opportunity to receive parental leave and benefits due to work accidents and occupational sickness.