With the bill for the industrial relations, which, among other things, replaces collective bargaining with individual bargaining to regulate working time, the government adopts the demands of the most extreme employer circles. Instead of discussing job growth, it is looking at how to put pressure on the employees to work unpaid overtime and abolishes the 8-hour working day through its circumvention, pointed out the Parliamentary Representative of SYRIZA - Progressive Alliance, Member of State, Panos Skourletis, speaking on the ANT1 show «Good Morning Greece», with George Papadakis.
Here are parts of the interview:
- «The presentation, at last, of the bill, fully confirms our criticism. [...] The regulation of working time, of working hours, for the first time - and this is very important - will not be the result of a collective negotiation between the trade union, the union, the trade union representatives and the entrepreneurs, but is now put on an individual basis.».
- «This settlement cannot be based on an individual transaction with the employee, who is de facto in a disadvantaged position.».
- «In the state of the economy, we shouldn't be talking about how to squeeze labor costs and how to force workers to work unpaid overtime. We should be looking at how to create new jobs. This mechanism is also contrary to job growth.».
- «These measures are a continuation of counter-reforms that we saw under the first and second memorandum.».
- «Under SYRIZA, we came to stop this downward slide at the expense of workers. I recall, first of all, the increase of the minimum wage to 650 euros. The abolition of the minimum wage for young people under 25. The special protective regulations for contract workers, abolished in 2019 by the New Democracy. The reintroduction of collective agreements in over 15 sectors, which led 200,000 workers to increase their monthly income. And now here comes the Southwest, satisfying 20 years of demands from the most extreme business circles, to continue this work at the expense of the world of work.’.
- «At the same time that we are providing for unpaid overtime and the circumvention of the 8-hour working day, which is tantamount to its abolition, this government is giving public management to HELPE and Mr.Latsis. At the same time, through Piraeus Bank, we are giving away public money to the bank's major shareholders. They are selling off National Insurance».
