Photo: tovima.gr
The employer organizations and the largest union of private sector employees, the General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE), yesterday signed the new national collective agreement, which provides for the retaining of the 13th and 14th salaries, family allowances and salary increases every three years of service. The new collective agreement was signed five days before the expiry of the previous one and it provides for the specified payments to continue until the unemployment rate falls below 10%.
The parties also agreed to entitle the father to obtain parental leave if the mother is self-employed.
In the cases when both parents are employed they will be able to choose, through a joint statement to their employers, which one of them will go on parental leave, unless they decide that both of them will take advantage of this right within the prescribed period.
The collective agreement of 2002 allows the mother to go later to work or leave an hour earlier for a period of 30 months.
The social partners did not discuss the issue of the minimum salary, which is already established by law.
They however agreed on a special clause stating that if the law in this area changes, "while the current collective agreement is in force, negotiations to determine salary parameters will start immediately."
"We will fight to restore salary levels and labour relations", president of the General Confederation of Greek Workers Yiannis Panagopoulos said after the meeting. He also pointed out that, along with employers, they will make a joint address to the International Labour Office. In response to a question, Yiannis Panagopoulos described as "incomprehensible" the probability of new changes in the social security system and labour relations. The union president mentioned the reduced minimum salary for young people, specifying that it has led to an increase in unemployment rather to a decrease thereof.
"We have been able to keep collective agreements viable", president of the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises George Daskalopoulos said in turn, adding, "Now we have to work in order for a better day for workers and businesses to come."
The need to keep collective agreements viable was also stressed by vice-president of the Association of Greek Tourist Companies Giorgos Vernikos, who added that "we do what we can in the tourism industry."
Photo: newsit.gr
"Today the unanimous decision to keep collective agreements viable put an end to the irrational cuts of employees’ salaries and we retained the family allowance as well", said president of the National Confederation of Hellenic Commerce Vassilis Korkidis.
President of the General Confederation of Craftsmen and Tradesmen George Kavatas described the signing of the agreement as a "message to the government and lenders", and noted that the collective agreements were restricted due to legal regulations.
The new collective agreement comes into force on 1 January 2014 and will expire on 31 December the same year.
Minister of Labour Yiannis Vroutsis approved the agreement
Photo: agelioforos.gr
"We appreciate the understanding between the social partners as well as the signing of the new national collective agreement for 2014.
This confirms the collective autonomy of the social partners and the significant capacity that it can have when the spirit of maturity, cooperation and mutual trust reigns.
Today, at the great turning and restarting of the economy, social consensus and peace, agreement and cooperation between the labour and production forces are needed more than ever."