Unions contest commerce employers' positions on industrial relations

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The positions adopted by the National Confederation of Greek Commerce on the third theme of the ongoing national social dialogue process, relating to industrial relations, have been contested by the GSEE trade union confederation, since they differ significantly from those of the unions.

On 1 July 1997, the National Confederation of Greek Commerce (ESEE), the employers' confederation which represents almost 90% of Greek commercial businesses, published its views on the regulation of forms of employment and social protection (GR9707120F). This is the third theme of the continuing process of social dialogue, initiated by the Government earlier in the year (GR9704112N). ESEE's positions have been contested by the Greek General Confederation of Labour (GSEE).

ESEE states that at the moment it rejects GSEE's demand for the reduction of weekly working hours to 35 without a reduction in pay (GR9708122F). It furthermore stresses that the inevitable reduction of working time will have to be followed by a reduction in pay in order to improve labour productivity.

Referring to part-time work, which is increasingly seen as the principal bone of contention between ESEE and the trade unions, ESEE proposes the reform of labour legislation in order to encourage greater opportunities for voluntary part-time work on a basis acceptable to employers and employees alike. It also proposes the following:

• reforming labour legislation to provide for the right to part-time work in two or more jobs;

• reforming Law 1892/1990, which regulates part-time work, in relation to insurance contributions and severance pay;

• introducing a minimum part-time working day of three to four hours and a minimum part-time working week of not less than 15 hours;

• calculating the hourly pay for part-time work on the basis of the employee's skills and length of service, in line with industry-wide agreements; and

• motivating both employers and employees to promote part-time work (through the reduction of employer's social security contributions, tax exemptions and so on).

ESEE also underlines the need to establish a new general social security framework for part-timers. It stresses, however, that an essential precondition for the implementation of such a proposal is the reform of labour legislation to cover various "atypical" forms of employment, such as part-time and seasonal work, fixed-term contracts, outworking, subcontracting and on-call work.

The commerce employers also touch on a number of other issues, including: undeclared or informal employment in commercial activities, particularly amongst married women; the increasing phenomenon of alleged absenteeism resulting from "feigned illness", which results in a considerable burden on enterprises; and the problems surrounding transfer of undertakings. They stress the need to find direct solutions to all these questions.

ESEE generally favours the employment of pensioners and their incorporation into the labour market, emphasising however that this must be carried out only under certain specific conditions.

Insofar as Territorial Employment Pacts (GR9703109N) are concerned, ESEE expresses considerable reservations relating to their application.