Labor Min. Hatzidakis: Increases in pensions for over 1.5 million pensioners

Over 1.5 million pensioners will see increases in their pensions according to the estimates of the Minister of Labor Kostis Hatzidakis who referred to yesterday’s announcements by the Prime Minister at the Thessaloniki International Fair about the increases in pensions after 12 years.

May be more than 6%

“I estimate that more than 1.5 million pensioners will see increases in their pensions,” said Kostis Hatzidakis, speaking to SKAI.

The Minister of Labor added that the increase in pensions can be even greater than 6% and added that nothing prevents a pensioner from getting some other allowance in addition to the increase in pension, e.g. heating or the 250 euro allowance, if of course he deserves it.

Mr. Hatzidakis emphasized that the measures announced yesterday by the Prime Minister will be gradually specified by the competent ministers and noted that the measures concerning the Ministry of Labor are a repetition of the help given last year at Christmas.

It is recalled that SYRIZA questioned the authorship of the specific announcement by the prime minister, saying in an ironic mood: “Fourth, we congratulate Mr. Mitsotakis for ‘selling’ increases in pensions with the 2017 regulation of SYRIZA, which had foreseen them since then for 2023. Instead of lies, however, the pensioners were waiting for the return the retroactive pension cuts that were stolen from them for the second time by New Democracy”.

For pending and supplementary pensions

Regarding the delays in the awarding of pensions, Kostis Hatzidakis commented that the prime minister rightly said that it was a shame and added that based on the latest data, we currently have 35,000 pending main pensions. Last year at this time, there were 130,000 outstanding pensions.

Mr. Hatzidakis added, that priority will be given to supplementary pensions. For the abolition of the trade tax and the reduction of insurance contributions, he said that a legislative provision would be passed as soon as possible, so that they would come into force.

The new increase in the minimum wage

The prime minister spoke about making the reduction in insurance contributions permanent, he explained, because it contributed to the increase in workers’ incomes and to the motivation for recruitment.

Regarding the new increase in the minimum wage, he said that the needs of workers and businesses will be taken into account, there will be a dialogue with the social partners and the government and a decision will be made. “We will not grant the monopoly of social sensitivity to anyone,” concluded Mr. Hatzidakis.