Mitsotakis accuses Tsipras of having a distorted view of reality

During a debate in Parliament on the government's policy on labour issues, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis accused SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras of having a distorted view of reality. SYRIZA claims there is an increase in unemployment. According to ELSTAT official data, unemployment in November fell to 16.5 pct from 18.6 pct in the corresponding month of SYRIZA's governance.

The second inaccuracy has to do with layoffs. The truth is that instead of layoffs in recent months, full-time workers have increased and, to be precise, they are 65,718 more than last year. And so are the businesses that employ them. Third lie: The opposition claims that the Labour Inspectorate has been downgraded and that there is a breach in the labour market. The truth is that in the 2nd half of 2019 there were 1,000 checks more than the corresponding period of 2018. Fourth lie: He argues that permanent jobs have been lost and replaced by part-time and rotational employment. The truth is that this year we have 1,374,482 permanent workers, 65,718 more than last year and for the first time since the four-year SYRIZA governance there is an increase in the share of full time employment. Fifth lie: SYRIZA insists that collective agreements are not respected. The truth is that an exception is only provided if the social partners themselves decide to save a business. And the sixth lie, the alleged non-extension of fixed-term contracts to the public sector, referring to the 55,000 scientists who are part of the OAED programme."

"Don't you know that these workers signed a fixed-term contract? Don't you not know that what you have signed renders the extension or the signing of a new contract in the same calendar year or the conversion to an indefinite contract invalid?" the Prime Minister stressed.