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The Committee takes note of the Government’s report received on 18 November 2009 concerning developments which had taken place until 31 May 2009 (notably the reorganization of the employment services of the Manpower Employment Organization (OAED) through the creation of 121 one-stop-shops at local level (Act No. 3144/2003, Act No. 3518/2006 and Ministerial Decision No. 80030/2007), as well as the reorganization of the Labour Inspectorate (SEPE) (Act No. 3762/O.G.75A/15.05.2009).
The Committee refers to its comments under the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98), with regard to the observations communicated by the Greek General Confederation of Labour (GSEE) with the support of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) on the impact of the measures introduced in the framework of the mechanism to support the Greek economy.
The Committee notes in this regard that the abovementioned measures involve drastic wage cuts in the public sector including parastatal agencies and enterprises, freezes in the recruitment of public servants for the year 2010 and restrictions in this regard for the years 2011–13, as well as commitments to reduce the number of public employees, and introduce reforms in human resource management in the public administration (Act No. 3833/2010 on the “Protection of the national economy – Emergency measures to tackle the fiscal crisis” and updated report on the Memorandum of Understanding and the Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policy published on 6 August 2010).
The Committee will examine the comments by the GSEE along with the Government’s reply thereto, and the Government’s report at its next session. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would specify the impact of the public sector reform on the status, material means and resources of the staff of the labour administration with regard to the requirements established in Article 10 of the Convention.
[The Government is asked to reply in detail to the present comments in 2011.]
The Committee notes with satisfaction the information provided by the Government, which bears witness to the institutional efforts made during the period covered by the report to develop a system of labour administration including the delegation of certain activities to entities which are separate from the public labour administration. The Committee also notes with interest the information provided in response to its previous comments, in particular the full text of a national collective agreement covering various areas of labour legislation.
The Committee notes the setting up of a number of structures under Act No. 2874 of 29 December 2000:
- a department responsible for employment issues in each district of the country;
- an advisory council of experts on employment and social security at the Ministry of Employment and Social Protection.
As a result of the restructuring of the Organization for Employment of the Workforce (OAED) under Act No. 2956 of 6 November 2001, three agencies have been set up. One is responsible for facilitating the entry or reintegration of workers into the labour market; another is responsible for dispensing vocational training, including further training; and the third is responsible for carrying out research and studies with a view to providing the OAED and other bodies concerned with technological information and support.
Under Act No. 3144/2003 on social dialogue, two new committees have been set up at the Ministry of Employment and Social Protection: the National Tripartite Committee for Employment for promoting in particular employment and social protection, combating unemployment and delivering opinions on the national plan of action for employment and, in general, on employment policy and labour legislation issues; and the National Advisory Committee for Social Protection for combating poverty and social exclusion, which is responsible for social integration issues.
In addition, a social protection department has been set up to promote equality of opportunity, the national plan of action for social integration and the reintegration of persons belonging to particular population groups.
The Committee would be grateful if the Government would continue to provide information on any development in the system of labour administration and, in particular, any general observations considered useful on the manner in which the Convention is applied, by communicating documents or extracts of documents as requested by Part IV of the report form of the Convention, which refers in this regard to the guidelines contained in the Labour Administration Recommendation 1978 (No. 158), Paragraph 20.
The Committee takes note of the Government’s report for the period ending in May 1999 and the legislation appended thereto. It would be grateful if the Government would provide further information on the following points.
Noting under Article 3 of the Convention that Act No. 1876-90 on free collective bargaining allows the conclusion of collective labour agreements between employers’ and workers’ organizations, the Committee would be grateful if the Government would state whether effect has been given in practice to this possibility and, if so, to provide a list of the collective agreements concluded under the above Act, to send a copy of one of them and to state what activities in the field of national labour policy are covered by these agreements.
Noting under Article 7 that natural persons who are not bound by a dependent work relationship but offer their labour in conditions of dependency and need the same protection as the other workers are also covered by Act No. 1876-90, the Committee asks the Government to provide information on the categories of workers to which such persons belong in relation to those mentioned in points (a) to (d) of this provision of the Convention.
The Committee notes that the Government's report has not been received. It hopes that a report will be supplied for examination by the Committee at its next session and that it will contain full information on the matters raised in its previous direct request, which read as follows:
The Committee would be grateful if the Government would provide additional information in its next report on the organisation and activities of all administration bodies responsible for or engaged in the field of national labour policy (Ministry of Labour, public agencies, parastatal agencies, regional or local administrations, etc. - Article 1(b) of the Convention). Please indicate also any labour administration activities delegated or entrusted to non-governmental organisations, particularly employers' and workers' organisations (Articles 2 and 3). Lastly, the Committee asks the Government to indicate whether the system of labour administration covers workers who, in law, are not employed persons, particularly those mentioned in Article 7(a) to (d) of the Convention.
The Committee takes note of the information furnished by the Government in its report. It would be grateful if the Government would provide additional information in its next report on the organisation and activities of all administration bodies responsible for or engaged in the field of national labour policy (Ministry of Labour, public agencies, parastatal agencies, regional or local administrations, etc. - Article 1(b) of the Convention). Please indicate also any labour administration activities delegated or entrusted to non-governmental organisations, particularly employers' and workers' organisations (Articles 2 and 3). Lastly, the Committee asks the Government to indicate whether the system of labour administration covers workers who, in law, are not employed persons, particularly those mentioned in Article 7(a) to (d) of the Convention.