Editorial Ta Nea: Implementing the digital work card reform

As of last Friday the digital work card is in use.

It was touted as a revolution in the labour market and “a reform of an intensely social character”, as it ensures that an employee’s work schedules will be kept and it guarantees that overtime will be recorded and thus paid.

Yet, already yesterday we had the first reports that work schedules were violated and that there was false recording of employees leaving their workplace at certain hours.

Within the first three days, employees charged that their employers circumvented the law in order to avoid paying overtime, in many cases with the acquiescence of employees.

These initial reactions to the establishment of the digital card demonstrate that inspections by the Independent Labour Inspectorate must be continual and sweeping, and they must be conducted repeatedly at all workplaces that violate the law.

The state has a duty to enforce legislated reforms, otherwise it undermines public trust in itself and stirs doubts over any effort at modernisation.

The experience of the last 12 years has categorically proven that it is not enough for ruling majorities to simply pass laws.

It is necessary to enforce them as well, so that we can all take ownership of reforms.

Let us nor repeat mistakes for which we have paid dearly in the past.