Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2012, published 102nd ILC session (2013)

Workmen's Compensation (Occupational Diseases) Convention (Revised), 1934 (No. 42) - Greece (Ratification: 1952)

Article 2 of the Convention. Conformity of the national list of occupational diseases with the schedule established by the Convention. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that an inter-ministerial committee has been established to examine the incorporation of the European schedule of occupational diseases into national law. On completion of its mandate on 1 February 2008, the aforementioned committee drew up a new national list of occupational diseases which is in conformity with Annex I to Commission Recommendation 2003/670/EC of 19 September 2003 concerning the European schedule of occupational diseases. Referring to the comments which the Committee has been making for many years, the Government states that the draft of the new list of occupational diseases is not restrictive, does not define the activities which can result in occupational disease, and contains a new heading relating to skin cancers. The draft of the new list must be the subject of a presidential decree signed jointly by the competent ministers before coming into force. The Committee notes this information with interest and requests the Government to send a copy of the new list of occupational diseases with its next report.

Part V of the report form. Application of the Convention in practice. The Committee notes that, according to the statistical information provided by the Government, although the number of new cases of occupational disease registered each year varied between 20 and 26 cases per year during the 2001–05 period, this figure has dropped sharply since 2005. Seven cases of new occupational diseases were recognized in 2006, six in 2007, five in 2008 and four in 2009, the Government indicating that the number of registered occupational diseases refers only to diseases which give rise to the payment of an invalidity pension. The Committee requests the Government to explain the reasons for this significant drop in the number of new cases of recognized occupational disease and provide further information on the functioning in practice of the procedure for recognizing a disease as occupational, on the operation of the labour inspectorate, the existence of preventive measures, the number of cases where recognition was refused, etc.