Labour Minister: a national need not to proceed to further pension cuts

He said that the aim is to strengthen the social dimension in Europe

The gοvernment aims to form a just and sustainable social security system without further pension cuts, Labour Minister George Katrougalos said during his meeting with the president of EU Labour Ministers Council Nicolas Schmit on Tuesday.

He stressed that it is not only a national guideline but a national need.

Mr. Katrougalos said that the aim is to strengthen the social dimension in Europe while the proposal for a Eurogroup of EU Labour Ministers like the one of the Finance Ministers Eurogroup was also discussed.

“The issue of the negotiations with the institutions is not exclusively a bilateral issue but a European one because since we have to define what are the best European practices on the labour sector, what will be decided for Greece, will also apply in the future to France, Italy, Portugal and the whole Europe. So, we insist on the European social model,” noted Mr. Katrougalos.

On his part, Mr. Schmit focused on the strengthening of employment, and mainly on young people, that will bring Greece a step closer to the integration in the European vision and the promotion of the European social values.