At a meeting with social partners currently underway at the Maximou Mansion, Kyriakos Mitsotakis stressed that the initiative has been felt at the European level and spoke of the start of a “new era” in the field of collective bargaining.

The Prime Minister is currently chairing a meeting with Minister of Labour and Social Security Niki Kerameos and representatives of the National Social Partners, on the occasion of the Social Agreement on Collective Labour Agreements.

In his introductory statement, the Prime Minister expressed his satisfaction with the agreement between the government and the social partners, emphasizing the scope of the consensus. “First of all, I would like to begin by really expressing my personal very great satisfaction with this broad agreement that the government and all the national social partners have signed and I think that essentially this initiative of yours marks the beginning of a new era for collective agreements in our country,” he said.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis also referred to the low percentage of workers covered by collective agreements and the relevant European obligation until 2030. As he said, “We know statistically – and we have discussed this many times – how far behind we were in the percentage of workers covered by collective agreements. We are also aware of the European obligation to reach a particularly high percentage by 2030.”

The Prime Minister went on to describe the reaction of workers, employers, and society to the agreement, calling it a positive surprise. “And indeed, I believe that this initiative has pleasantly surprised both workers and employers and the entire society, because you have demonstrated that, with great maturity and in consultation with the competent Ministry, you can come to an understanding and reach a solution that I believe is mutually beneficial, both for the companies you represent and for the workers,” he said.

He also made a special reference to the European dimension of the initiative, stressing that the message of the social dialogue was understood in Brussels. “And I think that at the European level – I think the Minister can attest to this – this initiative was a move that was noticed in Brussels, at a time when toxicity and tension are generally more prevalent. The fact that the social partners can sit down at the table and agree, with any necessary mutual concessions, on a framework that is ultimately good for everyone, I think, is an extremely positive development,” he said.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis also called for capitalizing on the momentum created by the agreement, based on trust and responsibility. “And I think that, from now on, what is required is that we can invest in this responsibility and trust that you have shown and not to forget that any common progress we can achieve is based both on the strengthening of workers and the resilience of businesses,” he stressed.

Concluding his statement, the Prime Minister spoke of a “golden mean” between the needs of workers and businesses, which he said the agreement serves, while he also referred to the next steps in terms of legislation. “And I believe that this golden mean, which we are always looking for, we have managed to a large extent, with the agreement you have signed, to achieve it. So, again, on my behalf, congratulations and congratulations to the higher-ups, and very soon the Minister will also identify the next steps, because we want very soon what you have agreed to legislate, so that it can be implemented as soon as possible,” He concluded.