“The “progressives” see steamrollers everywhere, reality is taking revenge on them again!”, says the Minister of National Economy and Finance Kostis Hatzidakis in a post on Facebook regarding the Digital Work Card.

“I wonder what they have to say now that it turns out that the “callous” Digital Job Card leads to an increase in overtime declared (ERGANI data)? Coupled of course with the growth of the economy. In other words, we are talking about overtime that is now declared, recorded and paid!”

The minister also said: “I still remember the reactions we encountered when I was Minister of Labour and Social Affairs and we had introduced and started implementing the Digital Labour Card. We stressed then that it is a tool that is instrumental in helping to prevent anyone from ‘stealing’ workers’ working hours and overtime. And what we did not hear from the so-called progressives! That the measure will fail miserably, that we are simply throwing ashes in the eyes of workers, that we are ‘destroying’ workers with every initiative we take.

As Hatzidakis states: “The cumulative increase in overtime in 2022 and 2023 in supermarkets is 61.2% compared to 2021. In banks it is 14%. In security companies, an increase of 11.5% in 2023 (applied) compared to 2022. Similarly, in retail and manufacturing there is an increase of over 10% this year, compared to the same 7 months in 2023.”

“I am very pleased that together with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis we have proceeded with the implementation of this innovative and modern measure. I am also pleased that the Digital Job Card was extended by Adonis Georgiades and Domna Michaelides. And it is now being further extended by Niki Kerameos, securing the rights of more and more workers”, he concluded.