Tsipras vows €800 minimum wage, 7-hour working day

Greece’s opposition leftist leader Alexis Tsipras (Syriza/EU Left) has proposed to increase the monthly minimum wage to €800 and reduce the working week to 35 hours without a salary reduction.

The announcements come amid a polarised political atmosphere with the discussion over snap elections heating up.

“Even in the heart of Western capitalism, in the United States, President Biden spoke of the end of the neoliberal model and the need to increase wages,” the former prime minister said.

The conservative New Democracy government recently passed a law abolishing the 8-hour day. Instead, overtime work will be reimbursed with extra days off.

Syriza is looking for a new narrative to convince Greek voters as New Democracy is still leading the opinion polls.

Tsipras said Greece’s backwards-thinking political and economic elite wants to keep the country in the “here is the Balkans” concept.

“In the EU, collective bargaining agreements cover over 60% of employees, in Greece only 14.7%. The average unemployment rate in the EU is 7.3%, in Greece today it is 17%. The average duration of the working week in the Eurozone is 37 hours, in Greece it is 42,” Tsipras said.

Syriza aims to unite all progressive opposition forces against the conservative government, citing frequently the cases of Spain and Portugal.

All attempts failed in the past due to a fragmented left. It is estimated that a crucial factor will be the results of the socialist party Movement of Change elections, with some candidates leaning to the left while others being closer to New Democracy.

(Sarantis Michalopoulos | EURACTIV.com)