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We thought we had seen it all. It turns out we hadn't. It appears that starting this month, some Greeks will have to pay for the privilege of having a job. From the Press Project:
Salary cutbacks (called "unified payroll") for contract workers at the public sector set to be finalized today. Cuts to be valid retroactively since november 2011. Expected result: Up to 64.000 people will work without salary this month, or even be asked to return money. Amongst them 21.000 teachers, 13.000 municipal employees and 30.000 civil servants.
Expected result: Up to 64.000 people will work without salary this month, or even be asked to return money. Amongst them 21.000 teachers, 13.000 municipal employees and 30.000 civil servants.
you'r quote says they will be asked to do this not that they are forced to do so.
Are their belongings going to be stripped away from them until they're homeless and naked?
The unified payroll table has not yet entered the National Assembly. This is expected to happen next week. In it, the highest salary in the public sector will be € 2,200, and with the highest allowances, the highest salary will reach € 2,700. This means that the best-paid civil servants will lose up to € 1,500 a month from their current income. Civil servants salaries were reduced several times, but have not yet reached a level acceptable to the supervisory Troika.
The lowest salary in the public sector, which is currently € 711, will increase to € 780 to reach the average monthly salary in the private sector. According to the Minister of Finance, with the unified payroll table the income of 14.5 per cent of the civil servants will be drastically reduced, the income of 78 per cent of them will not change, and for 7.5 per cent there will be a small increase. The decrease in the income of the civil servants with the highest salaries will be introduced gradually.
Prime Minister Lucas Papademos has called a cabinet meeting to discuss the additional cutbacks, which will be included in emergency legislation to be tabled later Tuesday. The draft law will force private sector employees to accept further salary cuts as a result of the minimum €751 ($996) monthly wage being cut by 22 per cent, and further cut pensions.