“The closer we get to the end, the more important the decisions that are made become,” said Minister of Labor and Social Insurance Marinos Mousiouttas on Sunday ahead of tomorrow’s, Monday’s, session of the Labor Advisory Council (LAC).
Responding to questions from reporters in Latsia, on the sidelines of the national memorial service for those killed during the Turkish invasion and the prayer service for the missing persons from the Paleokythra Community, Mr. Mousiouttas stated that the dialogue would continue. A prerequisite is that, within the next few days and as soon as the Legal Service completes its technical review, the bill must be submitted to the Council of Ministers and immediately to the House of Representatives, he added.
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The dialogue, he said, may continue even until shortly before the bill is voted on by the House, and “we have kept the channels open to listen, discuss, and reflect with our partners and, subsequently, with the political parties, in order to find the most appropriate solutions.”
What remains unchanged, the Minister of Labor stated, is that the top priority is the sustainability of the Social Security Fund and public finances. With this reform, he continued, after 50 years, pensions and benefits for low-income pensioners are being increased so they can lead a better life than they do today; there is a 12% reduction, and financial support is provided to segments of the population who, for various reasons, are unable to work—or who, if they do work, are forced to stop—such as mothers caring for their children, people with disabilities, informal caregivers, students returning from college, and high school graduates looking for work.
The Minister said that there are also smaller issues that no one has addressed for years, noting that they make it easier for mothers to receive maternity benefits, citing statistics showing that 15% of mothers do not receive it. “We are working to ensure that everyone receives their pension on time, and even if there is a delay, they are still entitled to their pension,” he said, noting that current legislation does not allow for this.
In addition, he said, the dialogue on the second pillar— the welfare funds; the discussion will be concluded next Tuesday in the Technical Committee, and on Thursday, the discussion will begin at the Labor Advisory Council level.
Mr. Mousiouttas noted that the submission of views from all sides will be completed tomorrow, Monday, and the Ministry of Labor, after weighing the information before it, will ask the partners for a “compromise—to put it euphemistically—proposal, to see if there is common ground so that this sector—which is essential, since welfare funds provide a monthly supplement to retirees’ pensions—can move forward.”
I expect that we will go to Parliament within the next few days, he continued, and “the unwavering target remains January 1, 2027, that is, in two months from today, the pension reform will be able to be passed and implemented.”
Mr. Mousiouttas said that while some may wonder if this is possible, the important thing is “that we want it—and everyone wants it— and our partners and the political parties—regardless of any differences that may exist in opinions or positions—everyone shares a common goal: the reform must succeed. Fifty years have passed; that’s a long time.”
With this in mind, he went on to say that “the small differences that divide us are too minor to prevent us from being united by the big picture, which is to offer the people, workers, and retirees a better, higher-quality life by increasing pensions and related benefits, which everyone has earned through hard work and sweat over a lifetime.”
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Source: KYPE
