On the occasion of today, the Minister of State ‘Akis Skertos <\/b>refers, in a post <\/b>, to the valuable tool of the digital card<\/a> working.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The Minister of State’s post reads as follows:<\/b><\/p>\n
“Happy Labour May <\/b>to all and sundry!<\/p>\n
The problem: One of the enduring and structural<\/a>problems<\/a><\/b> of the Greek labour market<\/a> <\/b>until 2019 was underreported – aka underpaid or unpaid<\/b> and uninsured<\/b> – work. No government of the past had managed or even attempted to address this.<\/p>\n
Rightly, therefore, young and older workers alike were complaining about a labour market<\/b>“jungle<\/b>” that trampled on their fundamental rights. Rightly, too, employers<\/b> for their part were also rightly complaining about the high insurance<\/b> and tax cost of labour<\/b> that existed until 2019, making legal employment “expensive”.<\/p>\n
And the solution: The digital job card<\/b>, combined with drastic cuts in taxes and labour contributions, are two of this government’s most iconic reforms. They have led to huge reductions in unemployment<\/b> – with the result that now, from leading unemployment<\/b> in 2019 in the EU, countries such as Spain<\/b>, Sweden<\/b> and Finland<\/b> now have higher unemployment<\/b> than Greece.<\/p>\n
The data show that declared overtime<\/b> in the Ergani<\/b> system increased from 1.87 million in 2021 to 7.8 million in 2025. What does this mean in practice? That, now, legally prescribed overtime is both paid and insured as it should be.”<\/p>\n
On the other hand, the Minister of State is asked whether under- or undeclared work has been eliminated<\/b>. “Apparently not yet,” he replies, adding: “But very important steps have now been taken to limit it within companies.”<\/p>\n
This deeply liberal and at the same time liberal and developmental reform<\/b> was implemented by the autocratic centre-right government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis<\/b>. Not by any party of the left or centre-left.<\/p>\n
It demonstrates in the most eloquent way our vision of a dynamic, orderly and fair labour market<\/b> that protects the rights of employees<\/b> while relieving businesses<\/b> from high non-wage costs<\/b> by reducing taxes and contributions.<\/p>\n
This policy achieves another purpose: it protects every legitimate business<\/b> from the unfair competition<\/b> of tax evasion<\/b> and tax avoidance<\/b>. In other words, it leads the Greek economy<\/b> and the labour market<\/b> gradually to a more “virtuous” economic cycle where the rule is and should be compliance with legality<\/b>. And not deviation from it,” he concludes.<\/p>\n