国际英语新闻：Greek gov't suggests structural reforms rather than cutbacks on private sector salaries

ATHENS, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The Greek government suggests structural reforms rather than possible cutbacks on private sector salaries, Greek Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou said on Monday.

"There is a discussion under way. We have said that the issue of competitiveness of the Greek economy is related to structural problems and not with the height of salaries of private sector employees which is very low, as we all know," Papaconstantinou stressed while speaking to Greek media after a meeting with Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou on the latest developments concerning the Greek economic crisis.

As a mixed group of EU-IMF (International Monetary Fund) experts has been continuing the consultations with Greek officials of various ministries since last Wednesday, Greek newspapers reported on Monday that foreign auditors asked the Greek government to implement more austerity measures, such as cutbacks on salaries of employees working in the private sector, even the abolition of the so-called 13th and 14th wages. Earlier this year the government imposed similar cutbacks on the wages of civil servants.

The 14th salary which is a bonus for Easter and summer holidays and the 13th salary which is a Christmas bonus, in Greece cover basic needs of employees who have lower incomes compared to other citizens across the European Union, the Greek government and labor.

"We have a common goal which is the decline of deficits through structural reforms and a more competitive economy," Papaconstantinou said on Monday, as he prepared to also brief a parliamentary committee on the outcome of his visit to Washington for the spring IMF-World Bank meeting.

Reaffirming that consultations on the final terms of the financial aid Greece will receive from EU partners and IMF are on the right track, Papaconstastinou said that in a week's time, once the talks are over, certain policies and measures will be announced.

"Any thought of reducing employees salaries will lead to deeper stagnation," Vasilis Korkidis, President of the National Confederation of Greek Commerce, said on Monday, warning that such a choice would only add burdens on the Greek consumers, market and economy.

Greek trade and the competitiveness of the Greek economy are influenced more by bureaucracy and red tape that create problems to the function of businesses than the so-called cost competitiveness that regards the height of wages, Korkidis stressed. A decline in wages means that there will be a further decline in the purchasing power of people, therefore more stagnation, he explained.

Representatives of labor unions, such as the umbrella unions of the public sector employees ADEDY and the private sector employees GSEE, have also warned the government that further cutbacks on incomes are a step to the wrong direction and will add problems to the Greek crisis, causing social unrest.

ADEDY called for a protest on Tuesday afternoon in Athens and GSEE called for mobilizations across Greece on May 1, warning with more strikes and demonstrations.