Greece’s Labour Minister Efi Achtsioglou, said that Europe should reject the social protection and labour rights deregulation idea and choose the idea of salary increase and upgrading of the labour protection systems among its countries, in order for the European building to be supported.
Achtsioglou made the stamen during the 17th annual lecture of the Greek Observatory of the London School of Economics entitled "A new model for the Greek Labour Market".
Achtsioglou presented the Greek government's strategy on the upgrading of the labour market in Greece as an example of reforms with positive results, as the reduction of unemployment, of non-declared labour, the increase of the minimum wage and the restoration of the collective negotiations.
The minister said that the deregulation of the labour market that was followed during the first two adjustment programmes in Greece, until the end of 2014, brought a general displeasure which should stop being fuelled. "The solution to the problem of rejection, by a large part of the European societies, of the European project lays in how we will be able to work for a new regulation of the labour market, for the support of the labour rights and for the wages increase. This will give social legalisation to the whole European endeavour in order to continue to exist" she said.
She explained that the traditional political forces in Europe have not realised the connection between the antisocial policies, mostly in the countries in crisis, and the rise of the far-right in Europe which now is considered a major danger for the European endeavour.
Achtsioglou said that the policies recently implemented in Greece constitute a good example. The solution to this issue is to see the problem and start to speak of an upwards harmonisation of the labour protection systems between the countries in order to support the European building.
