Trade unions note a shift in the government’s stance, with recognition of the need to grant pay raises to hourly-wage government employees, following a meeting they held Friday at noon with Finance Minister Makis Keravnos.
The General Secretary of OEKDY SEK, Giorgos Konstantinou, told CNA that “there is an intention to grant raises, but we have not agreed on anything at this time.”
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He referred to Monday’s meeting with the President of the Republic, noting that “we hope there will be an agreement that improves wages, as we want.”
“The dialogue remains open until Monday, and we hope to reach a conclusion on Monday,” he said.
For his part, PASYEK PEO General Secretary Stavros Andreou told CNA that “the fundamental need for wage improvements—which had not been recognized until now—is now acknowledged.”
He noted that during yesterday’s meeting with the Minister of Finance, the first proposal was presented, which includes wage increases for employees, both for current employees and for starting salaries, which apply to future employees.
“This is important, and we’re taking note of it,” he said, adding, however, that “the proposal is not satisfactory,” as it falls far short of “what we set as the minimum for us to be able to agree.”
Without specifying what the proposal entails, Mr. Stavrou said that the unions are demanding an 8% overall increase over the three-year period. “What is being offered is very far from what we are asking for; it doesn’t even come close to 50%,” he said.
He also added that the Ministry’s proposal varies depending on when the raises will begin.
He reiterated, however, that it is important “to put the need for wage improvements in writing.”
As he said, the specific proposal presented yesterday “is not a proposal on which we can reach an agreement. However, it is a proposal that leaves the door open for dialogue with the government and the President of the Republic.”
Mr. Stavrou explained that, under certain conditions and if further progress is made on Monday during the meeting with the President of the Republic, “we could reach an agreement. “But if things remain as they are, we won’t reach an agreement,” he said, noting that the current proposal “does not meet the needs of workers” and “does not create the conditions for adequate wages.”
“We want a collective bargaining agreement that will serve as a starting point for improving the wages of hourly-paid government employees and making them fair, adequate, and dignified. We do not believe this proposal achieves that goal, and the government needs to revise it upward,” he concluded.
The meeting between the OEKDY-SEK, PASYEK-PEO, and DEE KDOKO DEOK with the President of the Republic is scheduled for Monday, September 28, at 11 a.m.
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Source: CNA
