Galery

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The Greek government council for social policy has unanimously approved the upcoming changes in the pension system. The next step towards their adoption is the approval by the Council of Ministers.

The main parameters of the reform proposed by Minister of Employment and Social Security George Katrougalos are the following:

- Introducing a national pension, which will be financed by tax revenue. The pension will be granted to all candidates who have been insured for at least 15 years. This means that all, even the long-term unemployed will receive a pension. The national pension will be complemented by an analogous pension through a common factor on the salary or income.

- General rules of insurance for all insured, the contributions for which will be calculated according to the salary or income.

- A single pension fund for all basic pensions.

Unclear is only the situation of the amount of the individual coefficient, which is still subject to negotiations with creditors, as well as the amount of employer contributions.

The union of private sector workers GSEE has instantaneously responded, announcing a 24-hour strike on 3 December in protest against "the new and more severe memorandum, and the collapse of the social security system".

Its announcement states that "workers, pensioners, the unemployed and young people in the country will make a dynamic and resilient response to the new barbarian and tough measures that are directed against the people and that lead the workers to poverty, the unemployed to despair, banishing the young generation from the country and turning the retired from veterans of labour into veterans of life."