Up to 20% reduction and retroactive payment in special payrolls

The 200,000 public employees who are paid by special scales will probably be paid half their wages in September.

 

The tactic of the government to postpone the renegotiation at a later stage requires that it proceed to the measure of wage reduction by 12% on average, which was abandoned before the elections, but now comes back in the form of a bill and will even provide for the retroactive reduction of the July salary (which most employees received in June).

 

In reality, however, the salary cuts will not be done horizontally but on a scaled basis so as not to deprive the lower wage scales. Thus, those highly paid may suffer reductions that will probably exceed 20%.

 

If the bill is finally passed in early August and the first cut is made ​​to the salary to be paid in September, then the total reduction might reach 45% of the salary received by the specific employees.

 

This measure is for judicial officials, NHS doctors, academics, diplomats, high-ranking priests and uniformed army and police personnel. However, a special formula is sought for the latter, because during "Zappeion II" it was announced that this memorandum measure might be avoided if the government made use of other or others, of equivalent fiscal balance.

 

The measure aims to save 200 million euros this year and 400 in 2013.

 

These cuts will result in the elimination of dozens of benefits received by that portion of employees, as was the case with the single payroll in the public sector. The benefits that will be retained are expected to be integrated in the basic salary, while there might also be some minor increases (about 5%) in the final salary on the lower levels of the payroll.