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Greek Minister Asks Listed State-Controlled Firms To Cut Wages
ATHENS (Dow Jones)--Greece is urging government-controlled companies that are exchange listed to cut their wage bills in line with recent legislation for other state-controlled companies.
Last week the socialist government pushed through legislation to cap salaries, cut bonuses and slash wage costs at 52 state-owned enterprises of which a majority are loss making and heavily in debt.
The Finance Ministry now seeks to extend those austerity measures, which include hefty wage cuts, to listed companies where the state has substantial or controlling stakes.
The Greek Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou said Wednesday he has sent letters to the management of these companies.
"In our letters we are asking that initiatives be undertaken by listed companies [controlled or influenced by the state] to adjust total payroll cost and bring them in line with levels that reflect the public finances of the country," Papaconstantinou said in a statement.
In May, the debt-laden Mediterranean country narrowly avoid default by agreeing to unprecedented austerity measures and deep, but unpopular structural reforms in exchange for a EUR110 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund and the European Union.
The Finance Ministry's requests--if heeded despite the threat of labor strikes--will lower payroll costs significantly for many listed companies.
These companies include betting monopoly OPAP SA (OPAP.AT), electricity utility PPC SA (PPC.AT), telecom incumbent Hellenic Telecommunications Organization SA (HTO.AT), publicly controlled banks like ATEbank SA (ATE.AT) and Hellenic Postbank SA (TT.AT), water utility companies in Athens and Thessalonica, as well as the listed port authorities of Piraeus and Thessalonica.
"We will exercise our right as shareholders in the general assemblies of all market-listed state-controlled companies to influence companies so that any initiative on wages conforms to recent government efforts in the wider public sector," Papaconstantinou added.
ATHENS (Dow Jones)--Greece is urging government-controlled companies that are exchange listed to cut their wage bills in line with recent legislation for other state-controlled companies.
Last week the socialist government pushed through legislation to cap salaries, cut bonuses and slash wage costs at 52 state-owned enterprises of which a majority are loss making and heavily in debt.
The Finance Ministry now seeks to extend those austerity measures, which include hefty wage cuts, to listed companies where the state has substantial or controlling stakes.
The Greek Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou said Wednesday he has sent letters to the management of these companies.
"In our letters we are asking that initiatives be undertaken by listed companies [controlled or influenced by the state] to adjust total payroll cost and bring them in line with levels that reflect the public finances of the country," Papaconstantinou said in a statement.
In May, the debt-laden Mediterranean country narrowly avoid default by agreeing to unprecedented austerity measures and deep, but unpopular structural reforms in exchange for a EUR110 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund and the European Union.
The Finance Ministry's requests--if heeded despite the threat of labor strikes--will lower payroll costs significantly for many listed companies.
These companies include betting monopoly OPAP SA (OPAP.AT), electricity utility PPC SA (PPC.AT), telecom incumbent Hellenic Telecommunications Organization SA (HTO.AT), publicly controlled banks like ATEbank SA (ATE.AT) and Hellenic Postbank SA (TT.AT), water utility companies in Athens and Thessalonica, as well as the listed port authorities of Piraeus and Thessalonica.
"We will exercise our right as shareholders in the general assemblies of all market-listed state-controlled companies to influence companies so that any initiative on wages conforms to recent government efforts in the wider public sector," Papaconstantinou added.