The new Minister of Labour and Social Insurance, Marinos Mousiouttas, is under pressure to finalise the revision of the national minimum wage before the year-end deadline, necessitating a critical week of meetings with key social partners, including the SEK and PEO trade unions.
The urgency stems from the need for the Minister to consolidate the positions of unions and employers before submitting a final proposal to the Council of Ministers for a binding decree.
The final decision is considered imminent, following the postponement of the last session of the National Minimum Wage Review Committee. This week’s agenda is critical, encompassing the final committee meeting, a series of bilateral meetings with social partners—including the employer organisations OEB and DEOK—and the convening of the Labour Advisory Body (LSC). This intensive process leaves only a few working days until the end of the year for Minister Mousiouttas to formulate his policy.
The consultation process between the government, unions, and employers is largely complete. However, a highly sensitive point of contention remains the technical arrangement of the minimum wage’s hourly yield. Sources suggest this matter could shape the future relationship between the unions and the new Labour Minister.
Regarding the schedule, Minister Mousiouttas will meet with the SEK and PEO unions on Monday, followed by meetings with OEB and DEOK on Wednesday. A meeting with the CCCI is also expected to be scheduled immediately. Beyond the minimum wage, the Minister’s upcoming meetings will cover other major labour issues, including pension reform, the expansion of collective agreements, and foreign workers from third countries.
The former Labour Minister, Yiannis Panayiotou, had previously signalled that the revised minimum wage would likely reach around €1,125. He noted that applying 58.5% of the 2024 median wage would result in a minimum wage of approximately €1,100, which, when combined with the agreed-upon Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) adjustment, would approach €1,125.
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