In a statement issued by the ICFTU press office, the guild said that "unfortunately, the long-awaited government measures to deal with the effects of inflation do not meet our expectations".
It noted that it expected the government to announce a comprehensive policy, which would include substantial measures both to help the vulnerable social classes and to strengthen market supervision and the fight against obscenity.
"In this direction, our Federation submitted specific proposals such as the transfer of 5% of VAT receipts to the Social Cohesion Fund with the aim of targeted strengthening of social welfare policies," it added.
According to the IOC, they also proposed the institutionalisation of the Commissioner for Consumer Protection and the strengthening of the staffing of the Consumer Protection Department in order to strengthen market controls and tackle unfair commercial practices.
It states that the extension of the reduced VAT measures on electricity and fuel excise duty until the end of August "will not contribute significantly to tackling energy poverty, which is now reaching dangerous proportions."
It also adds, the one-off financial assistance granted to households on the basis of income criteria is not enough to cover inflationary costs for even one week."
It states that they believe the plan to subsidise childcare services for children up to the age of four is "in the right direction." "A plan which we believe will make a significant contribution to the financial support of poor families and facilitate the integration of women into the labour market," the statement adds.
The ICFTU believes that at the present juncture what is most important is to support vulnerable social groups and protect the incomes of workers from runaway accuracy and galloping inflation.
It states that in this context, they will continue the struggle for the full restoration of the institution of ATA and the immediate implementation of a General Minimum Wage with integrated ATA. Also, it adds, they will insist on the formulation of a comprehensive and effective policy for the economic support and social protection of low and middle incomes "affected by the unprecedented inflation crisis."
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