The door opens in January for salary increases through the initial extension of Collective Labor Agreements (CLAs) in 19 sectors, with increases ranging from 12% to 30%, alongside the start of negotiations, so that sectoral and professional agreements gradually reach 200, as they were in 2011, before the introduction of the memorandums.
Read: Niki Kerameos: More Collective Labor Agreements and salary increases in early 2026
The submission of the relevant roadmap of the social partners’ agreement by Labor Minister Niki Kerameos will precede this month, in the form of a bill to Parliament, which will describe the stages and changes that the existing regime will undergo. The bill will be voted on in early January. Thus, the first companies that will be obliged to increase wages, following the agreement concluded between employees and professional organizations and did not follow them (the increases) claiming they are not members of the business organization, are in the metal sector, steel industries, rental rooms, insurance companies, shipping companies and travel agencies.
All the above sectors must implement sectoral agreements since under the new framework they operate under an Economic Activity Code (EAC) according to their company’s tax activity. Consequently, these companies must adjust wages arising either from individual agreements, i.e., the 880 euros, as well as years of employment, to the corresponding scales, which for steel industries start from 987 and reach 1,283 euros, for workers in rental rooms from 901 to 970 euros, for insurance companies from 1,097 to 1,495 euros, for shipping companies from 1,156 to 2,638 euros and for travel agencies from 968 to 1,785 euros. More specifically, in the metal sector, specialized worker-craftsmen without prior experience will have a minimum wage from 973 to 987 euros. If today they receive 880 euros (minimum wage), the increase is around 12% and 93 euros per month. And of course the agreement provides for a series of allowances, which will also be mandatory, such as supervision allowance (70 euros/month), special conditions (10%-20%) etc.
In tourist agencies, sectoral wages for 2026 are set for clerical staff from 968 euros for up to 2 years of experience and 1,785 euros for 39-40 years of experience. Therefore, here the increase for salaried employees who receive the minimum (880 euros) will be 10% and 88 euros per month. In shipping agencies and shipping companies, minimum wages range from 1,156 euros for the first scale to 2,638 euros for scale 40. Therefore, here the increase for salaried employees who receive the minimum (880 euros) will be 31% and 276 euros per month. In insurance companies, minimum wages range from 1,097 to 1,495 euros in 14 salary scales, depending on experience. Therefore, here the increase for salaried employees who receive the minimum (880 euros) will be 25% and 217 euros per month.
Increases: Mandatory extension of sectoral agreement validity
The extension of validity of a sectoral agreement comes with a ministerial decision after specific prerequisites and means that the wages it provides now become mandatory for all sector employees.
Also, obligated to extend contracts and therefore increase wages are:
- Oil and gas companies throughout the country, where the specific agreement expires on 31/3/2026.
- Cosmetics companies with the specialty of beauty/aesthetic consultant.
- Companies in non-primary hotel accommodations throughout the country (rental rooms).
- Medical representatives.
- Electricians employed in hotels throughout the country and electrical stores.
- Tobacco industries.
- Archaeologists-members of the Association of Contract Archaeologists (SEKA).
- Agency companies throughout the country that are members of the International Maritime Union (DNE). Administrative staff of shipping agencies and shipping companies.
- Travel and tourism agencies.
It should be emphasized that all recent analyses by Institutes and organizations recognize that income improvement, mainly for low-wage earners, significantly affected employment growth. The average salary in the private sector reached 1,376.03 euros gross, increased by 5.53% in one year, with significant differences and perpetuation of inequalities. Thus, for example, wages in small companies (under 10 employees) averaged 1,023.86 euros, compared to 1,467.39 in large companies (over 10 employees). The average full-time salary increased for men to 1,461.95 euros, from 1,413 last year, and to 1,271.88 euros, from 1,231.57, for women, highlighting the fact that in our country more than other European countries, differences and stereotypes between the two genders remain. The daily wage for full-time men amounts to 82.67 euros and for women to 54.79 euros.
Published in Parapolitika
