Observation (CEACR) - adopted 1998, published 87th ILC session (1999)

Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98) - Greece (Ratification: 1962)

The Committee takes note of the communication of the Greek General Confederation of Labour dated 3 February 1998 in which it states that 18 months after the entry into force in 1996 of Law No. 2414 on the "Modernization of Public Enterprises and Corporations" which provides for collective bargaining in public service enterprises, the Government introduced a provision in a draft law on tax regulations (article 31(8) of Act No. 2579/98) according to which the modification of the Personnel General Rules of public enterprises and corporations "which present negative economic results or have entered the phase of rationalization" should be made within six months from the date the said Act was published in the Official Gazette; however, if no agreement was reached after the expiration of the negotiation period, the modification would be made by law. The General Greek Confederation of Labour denounces this legislative intervention in the collective bargaining. In its communication dated 9 October 1998, the Government specifies that the legislative regulation was made within the framework of rationalization of certain public enterprises which met serious economic and financial difficulties, including urban transport of Athens railways and postal services but did not cover the large majority of the public utility undertakings and other enterprises of the wider public service. The Government insists that these measures were transitional and since they were completed the modifications to the Personnel General Rules of public enterprises and corporations were now by means of labour collective agreements concluded between the administration and the most representative organizations of the workers concerned. The Committee takes due note of this information.