Social security bill to be presented
Employment Minister Fani Palli-Petralia will submit the final draft of the social security bill to the relevant government committee this afternoon, to be followed by its official tabling in Parliament tomorrow morning. Petralia appears determined not to bow to union pressures for the exemption of certain social security funds from merger plans. She stresses that the funds to be merged with the Social Security Foundation (IKA) will maintain the provisions of their founding charters and the separate accounts of their reserves. In the case of Public Power Corporation in particular, she insists that nothing is changing as far as the state’s funding commitments toward the power company’s social security fund. At 3.30 p.m. the country’s main unions, the General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE) and the Civil Servants’ Union (ADEDY) will stage a protest near the prime minister’s office, at the corner of Vassilissis Sofias and Irodou Attikou streets. The Greek Federation of Bank Employees’ Unions (OTOE) will also hold a work stoppage from 1.15 p.m. until the end of the shift, before staging another protest at the Economy and Finance Ministry at 6 p.m. Participating in the action will be the union of the National Bank of Greece, which is also demanding the return of the employers’ contribution of 4.5 percent to their self-security fund so that pension payments can continue as normal. Tomorrow the unions which represent the staff of IKA and other social security funds and corporations will stage a 24-hour strike. Yesterday GSEE confirmed its intention to hold another 24-hour strike on the day the bill will be discussed by the competent parliamentary committee.
