Mitsotakis Touts Wage Rises and Jobs Record as Unions Take to Streets on May Day

07:46 2/5/2026 - Πηγή: iEfimerida

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has used a May Day video address to defend his government's labor record against union criticism, citing a minimum wage rise of 41 percent since 2019 and the creation of more than 550,000 jobs as evidence of tangible progress for Greek workers.

Speaking on Instagram,

Mr. Mitsotakis opened with a nod to Greece's Eurovision entrant Akylas before pivoting to a direct rebuttal of opposition rhetoric.

"Today you will hear many easy slogans and unworkable proposals," he said. "We respond with our record."

The monthly minimum wage has risen from €650 in 2019 to €920 today, Mr. Mitsotakis said, while unemployment has fallen by 10 percentage points.

He credited his government with ending a 12-year freeze on seniority-based pay increments, cutting social security contributions by 5.4 percentage points and extending private-sector maternity leave from six to nine months.

The Digital Work Card, now covering nearly 2 million employees, was cited as a structural reform ensuring accurate recording of working hours and overtime.

The address came as major labor unions held rallies in central Athens, where workers demanded further intervention on energy costs and housing affordability.

Union leaders argued that persistent inflation continues to erode purchasing power despite nominal wage gains — a charge the government has consistently disputed by pointing to real income growth figures recorded in 2025.

Greece marks May Day against a backdrop of improving macroeconomic data but enduring cost-of-living anxiety, particularly among lower-income households in urban centers.

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Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has used a May Day video address to defend his government's labor record against union criticism, citing a minimum wage rise of 41 percent since 2019 and the creation of more than 550,000 jobs as evidence of tangible progress for Greek workers.

Speaking on Instagram, Mr. Mitsotakis opened with a nod to Greece's Eurovision entrant Akylas before pivoting to a direct rebuttal of opposition rhetoric.

"Today you will hear many easy slogans and unworkable proposals," he said. "We respond with our record."

The monthly minimum wage has risen from €650 in 2019 to €920 today, Mr. Mitsotakis said, while unemployment has fallen by 10 percentage points.

He credited his government with ending a 12-year freeze on seniority-based pay increments, cutting social security contributions by 5.4 percentage points and extending private-sector maternity leave from six to nine months.

The Digital Work Card, now covering nearly 2 million employees, was cited as a structural reform ensuring accurate recording of working hours and overtime.

The address came as major labor unions held rallies in central Athens, where workers demanded further intervention on energy costs and housing affordability.

Union leaders argued that persistent inflation continues to erode purchasing power despite nominal wage gains — a charge the government has consistently disputed by pointing to real income growth figures recorded in 2025.

Greece marks May Day against a backdrop of improving macroeconomic data but enduring cost-of-living anxiety, particularly among lower-income households in urban centers.

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Mitsotakis Touts Wage Rises, Jobs Record, Unions Take,Streets, May Day