File photo.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis marked May Day on Friday with a video message posted on social media, highlighting his government’s labor and economic policies and saying the administration responds to “easy slogans” with “work and results.”
The prime minister listed a series of measures his government says have improved conditions for workers since taking office.
He pointed to an increase in the monthly minimum wage from 650 euros in 2019 to 920 euros today, and said unemployment has fallen by 10 percentage points, representing more than 550,000 new jobs.
Mitsotakis also highlighted tax reforms, including the elimination of income tax for workers under 25 and broader tax reductions with a focus on families with children. He cited the unfreezing of wage seniority increases after 12 years, the restoration of collective labor agreements and a 5.4 percentage-point reduction in social security contributions.
Other measures included extending paid maternity leave in the private sector from six to nine months and introducing a digital work card for nearly 2 million employees to record working hours.
The government has promoted the digital system as a tool to improve labor compliance and reduce undeclared work.
“Because today you will hear many easy slogans meant to impress, but also many unworkable proposals, we respond with our work,” Mitsotakis said.
Thousands of workers and protesters walked off the job across Greece on Friday to mark May Day, demanding higher wages, stronger labor protections and expanded social policies, in nationwide demonstrations that disrupted transport and public services.