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Entrepreneurs will be imposed fines amounting to 18 times the minimum wage in Greece for each illegal worker who is detected in their companies. The Ministry of Employment will take a series of measures in order to eradicate the informal economy and the widespread practice among companies to hire “black” labour market workers. “Therefore we decided to increase the punishment and make more frequent checks in companies,” said Minister Yiannis Vroutsas.

The highest fine will reach 10,550 euro for each illegal worker. Penalties will be imposed immediately on site and according to the decision of the controlling inspector. Besides inspectors, all information systems and databases available to the Ministry will be included in the combat with the black labour market. “I know that these fines are huge and even excessive. However, the enormity of the phenomenon and its widespread distribution among various sectors made us take measures in order to help society deal with offenders,” added Yiannis Vroutsas.

On the one hand, these measures are aimed at limiting and completely eliminating illegal work, but on the other hand – at starting the filling of empty insurance funds with new money. As characterised by Deputy Minister of Employment Vassilis Kengeroglou, “liquidation of illegal work is an action in defence of Greece’s social security system”. Checks in recent days, both in Athens and the resorts, have shown that hiring seasonal workers without signing written contracts with them and without paying them social security contributions is a common practice among tourism businesses.