After the joint meeting of representatives of the ECB, the Commission and the IMF with the Greek Minister of Economics, Mr. Papakonstantinou, on Thursday, 17 June, the Greek Government announced a new set of measures concerning working relations.
Among others, the Greek Government has decided to:

• Cut down lay-off compensations by 50%

• Increase the legal threshold for monthly lay-offs (up to 5% in companies that have more than 150 employees)

• Initiate wages lower than the minimum wage for young employees (-30% for 15–17 years of age, -20% for 18–21 years of age and -15% for hiring employees up to 25 years of age)

• Terminate legal refereeing in the process of collective agreements

• Reduce the compensation for overtime work

• Allow the overriding of the General Collective Agreements through sectoral agreements

All these measures were decided without any discussion and voting in the Parliament and will be officially approved through an “express-process”: Through a series of Presidential Decrees, signed by the President of the Republic in the next 10 days. This new set of measures is in full accordance with the troika's demands for measures that will “reinforce the institutions of the labor market”. These measures signify one more cruel step towards the demolition of social rights on the excuse of the crisis, not only against the interests of the vast majority of Greek people, but of all European workers, the unemployed and especially the youth: What happens today in Greece, Portugal and Spain will happen eventually in all European countries, unless we join forces and give a decisive answer to those governments and institutions who apply these ultra-neoliberal policies. The European Left stands firmly against this attempt to create a new, “social dark age” in our continent. We continue our joint, European struggle, together with all mobilized social actors, for stable employment, decent salaries and pensions, and guaranteed public services. There is no other real exit strategy against the crisis.


EL Secretariat, Brussels, 17 June