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Ministry of Labour and Social Security (Greece)

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Ministry of Labour and Social Security
Υπουργείο Εργασίας και Κοινωνικής Ασφάλισης
Agency overview
FormedOctober 1935
TypeMinistry
JurisdictionGreek government
HeadquartersAthens
37°58′54.8″N 23°43′35.8″E / 37.981889°N 23.726611°E / 37.981889; 23.726611
Employees10.540 (2024) [1]
Annual budget18.678.084.000 € (2025)[2]
Minister responsible
Deputy Ministers responsible
  • Kostas karagkounis
  • Anna Efthymiou, for social security
Agency executive
  • Secretary of the Ministry
Child agency
  • General Secretariat of labour relations
    General Secretariat of social security
Websitehttps://ypergasias.gov.gr/

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security (Greek: Υπουργείο Εργασίας και Κοινωνικής Ασφάλισης) is a government department of Greece. The Ministry is responsible for the labour market, employment, and social security.

Its current name was given in June 2023 when the second government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis renamed the "Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs" to the "Ministry of Labour and Social Security".

The incumbent minister is Niki Kerameus.

History

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The Ministry of Labour was first established in October 1935 by the Kondylis government, following the urging of Georgios Kartalis, who also served as its first Minister. [3]
After one year, in January 1936, the new Demertzis government abolished the ministry.
Following the coup of August 4, 1936, by Ioannis Metaxas, the "Deputy ministry of Labour" was established, under the "Ministry of National Economy", with the responsibility "...to systematically ensure harmonious cooperation between labour and capital, to promote the National Economy and the moral and material upliftment of the working classes." [4]
In November 1936, it was upgraded to an independent Deputy Ministry. Aristeidis Dimitratos, former General Secretary of the GSEE (General Confederation of Greek Workers), who, as a repentant communist, joined the conservative faction during this period, served as Deputy Minister. [5] During his tenure as minister, state control over the labor market was strengthened, many professions were declared "closed" and "protected," and businesses were prohibited from dismissing employees without government approval. At the same time, a minimum daily wage was established, regardless of the days worked, industry-wide labor contracts were systematized, the eight-hour workday was further implemented, and labor legislation was more formally enforced. [5]

With the onset of the military dictatorship, the Ministry of Labor was abolished, and its responsibilities were transferred to the Ministry of National Economy. A deputy minister responsible for employment issues was appointed to oversee these matters. When the Ministry of National Economy was dissolved under the Markezinis government, one of the five ministries that emerged from its dissolution was the Ministry of Employment. This "Ministry of Employment," established for the first time, essentially absorbed the responsibilities of the abolished "Ministry of Labor." It was responsible for implementing government policy on matters concerning the employment of the country's workforce.

In August 1976, the Konstantinos Karamanlis government reinstated the name Ministry of Labour. Konstantinos Laskaris served as the Minister of Labor for all the initial post-dictatorship New Democracy governments, holding the portfolio from November 21, 1974, until October 21, 1981. Laskaris was heavily criticized by the Left, particularly for Law 330/1976, which aimed to control the forms of labor demands, restricting spontaneous worker uprisings and granting increased intervention powers to the executive and judicial authorities. [6]

In September 1995, the social security sector was detached from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the corresponding department, the "General Secretariat of Social Security", was incorporated into the Ministry of Labor, where it has remained since. The Ministry was renamed to the Ministry of Labor and Social Security.
In 2001, the government of Costas Simitis attempted a reform in social security policy, mainly in its pension arm, by increasing the retirement age (abolishing the 35-year service requirement and introducing the principle of retirement after 40 years of work), reducing pensions, and cutting early retirements, which sparked significant social unrest. This unrest also arose within the ranks of the ruling party, prompting Costas Simitis to "back down" and indefinitely postpone the reform. [7]

List of ministers

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Labour (1976 - 1997)

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Labour and Social Security (1995 - 2001)

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Employment and Social Protection (2004 - 2009)

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Name Took office Left office Party
Panos Panagiotopoulos 10 March 2004 15 February 2006 New Democracy
Savvas Tsitouridis 15 February 2006 30 April 2007
Vasilios Magginas 30 April 2007 17 December 2007
Fani Palli-Petralia 17 December 2007 7 October 2009

Labour and Social Security (2009–2012)

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Name Took office Left office Party
Andreas Loverdos 7 October 2009 7 September 2010 PASOK
Louka Katseli 7 September 2010 17 June 2011
Giorgos Koutroumanis 17 June 2011 17 May 2012
Antonis Roupakiotis 17 May 2012 21 June 2012

Labour, Social Security and Welfare (2012–2015)

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Name Took office Left office Party
Ioannis Vroutsis 21 June 2012 27 January 2015 New Democracy

Labour and Social Solidarity (2015)

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Name Took office Left office Party
Panos Skourletis 27 January 2015 18 July 2015 Syriza

Labour, Social Insurance and Social Solidarity (2015–2019)

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Name Took office Left office Party
Georgios Katrougalos 18 July 2015 27 August 2015 Syriza
Dimitris Moustakas 28 August 2015 21 September 2015 Independent
Georgios Katrougalos 23 September 2015 5 November 2016 Syriza
Effie Achtsioglou 5 November 2016 9 July 2019

Labour and Social Affairs (2019–2023)

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Name Took office Left office Party
Giannis Vroutsis 9 July 2019 5 January 2021 New Democracy
Kostis Hatzidakis 5 January 2021 26 May 2023
Patrina Paparrigopoulou 26 May 2023 27 June 2023

Labour and Social Security (2023–present)

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Name Took office Left office Party
Adonis Georgiadis 27 June 2023 4 January 2024 New Democracy
Domna Michailidou 4 January 2024 14 June 2024
Niki Kerameus 14 June 2024 incumbent

References

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  1. ^ Anuual statistical data (el)
  2. ^ State budget,2025
  3. ^ https://www.kathimerini.gr/culture/books/561660658/georgios-kartalis-astos-proodeytikos-fileleytheros/
  4. ^ ΦΕΚ Α 379/ 1936
  5. ^ a b "Η «κοινωνική πολιτική» της 4ης Αυγούστου".
  6. ^ Ιωαννίδης, Στέφανος (2019). Το κίνημα των εργοστασιακών επιτροπών, 1974-1981 [The factory committees' movement, 1974-1981] (Thesis). Athens. p. 200.
  7. ^ "Η κυβέρνηση Σημίτη, το Ασφαλιστικό και το ΠΑΣΟΚ που ήρθε αντιμέτωπο με το… ΠΑΣΟΚ" [The Simitis government, the Insurance Fund and PASOK confronted with... PASOK].
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