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It is now open to the government to cover with a state subsidy the wages of workers who, with the gradual opening of companies, will be called to work in a new work environment with flexible and reduced work hours.
This is the plan that the government is developing as part of the next phase of economic support measures for workers and companies affected by the pandemic and, of course, from Germany.
The logic is that companies will be down for many months and therefore will have to pay unsatisfied employees and customers.
After all, in a country where everyone will necessarily wear masks like “Zoro”, how much will be available to buy?
According to the newspaper “Ta Nea”, the government plan aimed to keep jobs and “footprints” in the German model of “Kurzarbeit”, the state program to support the employees on which half of the German companies are based, which they cannot meet their financial obligations due to the coronation crisis.
“Kurzarbeit” is the program launched by Germany for the first time during the financial crisis of 2008-2009 and allows companies to reduce their working hours without losing large wages, as the state takes over. to pay a large part of his salary.
The subsidy for the wages of employees who will work part-time was announced yesterday by the Minister of Finance Christos Staikouras, who declared (to RealFM) that if an employee works fewer hours, the state with the help of the European SURE program will come to cover it . difference
That is, the state will come to supplement the wages of workers who enter flexible forms of employment, such as part-time or shift work, to limit the loss of their wage income.
According to the information, the state subsidy could cover 40% – 60% of the losses derived from the reduction in wages due to the corresponding reduction in working hours. With a corresponding subsidy, part of the employees’ insurance contributions could be covered.
For job rotation
In the first phase, the state subsidy to cover the loss of workers’ wages is considered activated in the new shift work measure, which is implemented and allows 2 weeks of work per month with half the salary.
Only companies that are affected by KAD and as long as they are affected by the relevant KAD with a time horizon until September 20 can operate with “security personnel” today.
The measure is applied with a job retention clause and stipulates that the employer can employ the employee for at least 2 weeks a month, continuously or intermittently. It is sufficient that at least 50% of company personnel enter this way of organizing work every week.
The state wage subsidy measure for those who will work part-time is expected to be included in the “SURE” community employment program.
According to the calculations of the Ministry of Finance, Greece can claim and receive between 1,400 and 1,500 million euros of the total of 100,000 million euros that the EU estimates to allocate to the Member States in a favorable way. loans
The goal is to contain layoffs and keep state-subsidized jobs in the model: reduced work hours and subsidies to replace reduced wages. It is not ruled out that the measure will be implemented until the end of 2020, always depending on the evolution of the crown crisis, since much will depend on the possibility of a second wave of pandemics in the fall.
Subsidy
Christos Staikouras said yesterday that the allocation of 800 euros given to workers on temporary suspension of the employment contract will be adjusted to the new data of the gradual lifting of restrictions on the economy. “When an entrepreneur asks his employees, the company will pay them.” said the minister, adding that “For those companies that don’t open or for workers for whom the suspension won’t be suspended, the state will be there to help.”.
In fact, as he said, the companies have asked to return to work 20,000 employees for whom the suspension of the work contract is suspended.
It should be noted that the Ministries of Labor and Finance have already announced the possibility of extending the suspension of employment contracts, but in a different way from that which was in force during the first phase of facing the pandemic.
The measure is expected to be implemented not in 45 days, but as long as the company remains closed under the plan, certain sectors of the economy will gradually unfreeze. According to the scenarios that are being developed, the possibility of a new suspension of contracts will not last 45 but 30 days and, consequently, it will be reduced from 800 to 534 euros, since the 800 euros cover a period of 45 days.
