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Early retirement, health ticket: Samaras gov’t gifts to calm down angry society

Greek coalition government decided to distribute some ‘gifts’ in order to calm down social discontent over tax hikes, income decreases and galloping unemployment. As usual, the civil servants will take it all with early retirement, while the private sector will get some crubles in form of a ‘health ticket’ for those without job and insurance.

The so-called ‘health ticket’ will allow 200,000 uninsured citizens to enjoy free medical checks at  public hospitals for the next two years. The measure will go into effect already at this month. Criteria are not clear yet, however more than 1,300,000 Greeks are without job and insurance.

The second offer is a gift to the usual government voters: civil servants in public sector and state-run enterprises (DEKO) and banks.

According to daily Ethnos,

Over 160,000 employees in the above mention sectors will have the option to go to retirement regardless of age limit, utilizing a series of advantages. The required years of insurance vary and could be between 20 and 37. Big winners are those who entered the labor market before 1.1.1983.

Those with 25 years of insurance can ‘secure’ retirement rights and stay in labor for 10 more years. The employee could then retire without the age limit.

which is 67 on the papers….

According to Ethnos,

mothers with 3 minor aged children can even go to retirement with 20 years of insurance as of 31.12.2010. Married women and mothers working at the public sector, who entered the labor market before 1983, can go to retirement after 24 years and 6 months of insurance.

As usual, employees and self-employed of the private sector will have to have completed 37 years of insurance, that is 11,100 working days, as of 31.12.2010 to go to retirement.

In simple words: a civil servant can go to retirement at the age of 50, while a private sector employee with 57.

PS Do I smell ‘elections’ or governments’ fear from public opinion surveys often showing main opposition left-wing SYRIZA ahead? Or is the feed back the government receives from the society really so dramatic?

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5 comments

  1. …to calm down angry society”?! Back to retirement at 50 for the Civil Service? Back to the handouts to the mothers with 3 children? As if nothing has happened the last couple of years. In fact for all these criminals nothing HAS changed! This is making me so hopping mad that I feel like I need to throw up…