Catering – Tourism: These are the new wages for 430,000 workers

With a relevant decision of the official Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Patrinas Paparrigopoulou, published in the Official Gazette (B’ 3942-17.6.2023), was extended and applies to all employees who are employed in all kinds of tourist and food shops throughout the country n Collective agreement (SSE).

THE Collective agreement signed on June 12, 2023 between the “Panhellenic Federation of Food and Tourism Workers” (POEET) and the employers’ organizations “Panhellenic Federation of Restaurants and Related Professions” (POESE), “Federation of Professional Confectioners of Greece” (OEZE) and the “General Confederation of Professional Craft Merchants of Greece” ( GSEVEE).

It was preceded by opinion of Supreme Labor Council (ASE) which met on June 15, 2023 under its chairmanship General Secretary of Labor Relationsv Annas Stratinakis and found that the legal conditions are met.

Given that the expansion of the SSE was common request of both sides (of employers and employees in the tourism-food industry), the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs and its services responded with great speed, taking into account that the tourist season has begun and in order to cover those workers who are not bound by the SSEwithout significant time elapsing since the expiry of the previous sectoral Agreement which had also been declared mandatory.

Like the previous corresponding collective agreement, so also the new SSE which was extended immediately establishes the five-day work system. It is noted that there is an explicit provision that in case employees are employed more than five days a week they will be paid one extra day for each day of work, with a surcharge 75% in the event that this is a Sunday or holiday.

THE SSE covers them restaurantsthe coffee as well as the distributors who are connected by a subcontract work with the above shops, that is to say, overall it concerns – based on the data of the past years which in fact show an increasing trend – about them 430,000 workers.

THE duration of the Agreement is two years old and applies retroactively from March 1, 2023 for the members of the organizations that signed it, while for the rest from the day of publication of the Ministerial Decision in the Official Gazette.

THE Contract provides for wages higher than the national minimum wage (from 815 to 1,017 euros gross), with an increase from 4.5% to 5.5% from June in relation to the salaries of the previous SSE. By June 2024 there will be a further 5% increase in the structured basic wages, while a number of percentage allowances such as marriage, tourism education, eventual unhealthy work are set.