# Greece to increase minimum wage again, before election
Author:  Pal Sinha, Barnali 
Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali
Published: 2023-03-17
Category: NEWS
Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/news
Meta Title: Greek Government to Increase Minimum Wage to 780 Euros
Meta Description: Get the latest news: Greece to increase monthly wage to 780 euros on April 1, providing relief amid economic pressures. Read more.
URL: https://financedigest.com/greece-to-increase-minimum-wage-again-before-electionhtml

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ATHENS (Reuters) – The Greek government will raise the minimum wage next month, the third rise in more than a year, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Friday, months before its term ends.

Mitsotakis’ conservative government, whose four-year term ends in July, raised the monthly gross minimum wage twice last year to 713 euros as households’ incomes took a hit from persistently high inflation.

It now plans to increase the minimum wage by 9.4% to 780 euros a month from April 1, Mitsotakis said in televised statements.

We are all aware that salaries in our country are still low, while imported [inflation is putting additional pressure](https://www.financedigest.com/analysis-china-central-bank-under-pressure-to-ease-is-hemmed-in-by-inflation-fed-jitters.html "Analysis-China central bank, under pressure to ease, is hemmed-in by inflation, Fed jitters") on them,” Mitsotakis said.

Obviously, this new rise will not [solve the problem](https://www.financedigest.com/british-start-up-reveals-the-secret-to-solving-the-problem-of-identity-fraud.html "British start up reveals the secret to solving the problem of identity fraud"). But it will offer, for sure, a very important relief,” he said, adding that the rise was the maximum the [government could offer within the country’s financial](https://www.financedigest.com/brexit-and-financial-services-a-government-oversight.html "Brexit and Financial Services – A Government Oversight?") capacity.

Since 2020, Greece has spent more than 40 [billion euros in subsidies and financial aid for households and businesses that struggled to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic and rising energy](https://www.financedigest.com/petrofac-hitachi-energy-receive-14-billion-agreement-from-tennet.html "Petrofac, Hitachi Energy receive  billion agreement from TenneT") costs following the war in Ukraine.

This year, it also introduced an 8% payment rise for pensioners, the first since 2010, when its decade-old debt [crisis erupted forcing](https://www.financedigest.com/analysis-uk-crisis-forces-off-kilter-businesses-to-halt-investment.html "Analysis-UK crisis forces ‘off kilter’ businesses to halt investment") it to slash pensions until 2018.

The [government was planning to call an election](https://www.financedigest.com/estonias-pro-kyiv-government-faces-election-test-amid-cost-of-living-crisis.html "Estonia’s pro-Kyiv government faces election test amid cost of living crisis") in early April. But a train crash on Feb. 28 that killed 57 people and has stirred public outrage and mass protests over deficient [safety measures at the Greek railway has pushed back](https://www.financedigest.com/occupational-health-and-safety-must-be-brought-back-to-the-forefront-of-esg.html "Occupational Health and Safety must be brought back to the forefront of ESG") its plans.

The conservative premier has not [yet announced a date for the national](https://www.financedigest.com/swiss-national-bank-says-inflation-battle-not-yet-won.html "Swiss National Bank says inflation battle not yet won") ballot. Opinion [polls show his New Democracy party’s lead](https://www.financedigest.com/frances-macron-consolidates-poll-lead-after-tv-clash.html "France’s Macron consolidates poll lead after TV clash") over the main opposition, the leftist Syriza party, shrinking following the train disaster.

(Reporting by Angeliki Koutantou; Editing by Alex Richardson)


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