A company in Larissa is giving a bonus of 500 euros for vaccinated employees.
"We also want to contribute our little stone to the wall of immunity," said the vice president of Cosmos Aluminum, Giannis Cantonias, regarding the decision to give a 500 euro bonus to employees who are vaccinated.
Of the approximately 180 workers, 30 have been vaccinated so far, and another 90 have made an appointment or have already taken the first dose.
There are several workers - around 40% to 45% - who cannot be vaccinated because of health reasons or because they are already ill.
"It was a rewarding move for the company's employees, who responsibly followed the instructions of the doctors and the committee of specialists, without any reactions," he said.
"The money has started and will be given from June, together with the payroll, to those who have completed the second installment", the vice president added.
Cantonias clarified that even those who cannot be vaccinated for health reasons or have already fallen ill will receive the bonus.
"It is a measure that is clearly supportive of those who are vaccinated and not at all threatening to those who are not vaccinated. We do not threaten, we do not blackmail. "It is an indirect incentive to reward the consistent," he said.
He clarified that because the measure was announced last Friday, "so far we do not have employees who have expressed their opposition to the vaccine," although as he said "this is something completely normal, and they should not feel any threat to their work or fear."
Asked if he was influenced by the Prime Minister's announcements about the Freedom Pass with the 150 euros to the young people who will be vaccinated, the vice-president of Cosmos Aluminum stressed that "our thought has been there for a month."
"We were discussing with the legal service and our associates how to proceed without giving a bad image," Cantonias stressed.
Regarding the amount of the bonus, he said that this was decided after examining many parameters and in relation to the company's finances.
"Our goal was not to advertise, we are a purely exporting company and therefore we will not have a direct benefit," he clarified, saying that there will only be a "local promotion," while informing the company's employees.
He added that the goal of the bonus is for other entrepreneurs to be positively influenced by this initiative, in order to contribute to the national effort. I wish other companies would imitate us," he noted.
"There is a positive image in the local community around this initiative," he added, while describing the reactions heard as an attempt to take over the employees were absurd.
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