Thematic feature - unskilled workers

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This article gives a brief overview of the industrial relations aspects of the topic of unskilled workers and unskilled work in Greece, as of February 2005. It looks at: national definitions of unskilled workers or work; the number of unskilled workers and workers in unskilled jobs, and the extent of unskilled work; employment and unemployment among unskilled workers; the regulatory framework; trade union organisation among unskilled workers; pay and conditions; recent initiatives to improve the situation of unskilled workers; and the views of trade unions and employers' organisations on the issue and its implications for collective bargaining.

In recent years, labour market developments have altered the demand for labour. Increasingly, employers are looking for adaptable workers, with more 'transversal' and 'relational' competences. The nature of skills required to be considered efficient in a job has thus evolved. In this situation, there is a growing risk of exclusion among unemployed workers whose profiles do not match the job characteristics needed, while the low-skilled or unskilled workforce is more at risk of unemployment.

In this context, in February 2005 the EIRO national centres were asked, in response to a questionnaire, to give a brief overview of the industrial relations aspects of the topic of unskilled workers. The following distinctions are used, where applicable:

(a) an unskilled job is a job which requires, for its proper execution, hardly any formal education and/or training and/or experience;

(b) a worker in an unskilled job is a worker doing such a job, irrespective of their level of qualifications or competences (especially under conditions of high unemployment, a significant share of those occupying unskilled jobs may be 'overeducated' for them, or 'underemployed'); and

(c) an unskilled worker is someone who has only the lowest level of qualifications or education (however defined).

The questionnaire examined: national definitions of unskilled workers or work, including those used or provided in laws, statistics or collective agreements; figures or estimates on the number of unskilled workers and workers in unskilled jobs, and the extent of unskilled work; employment and unemployment among unskilled workers; the regulatory framework, including any specific laws or collective agreements, and trade union organisation among unskilled workers; the pay and conditions of unskilled workers and workers in unskilled jobs, or for unskilled jobs; any recent initiatives to improve the situation of unskilled workers; and the views of trade unions and employers' organisations on the issue and its implications for collective bargaining. The Greek responses are set out below (along with the questions asked).

Definitions and extent

(a) Please provide a definition of unskilled workers or work (see distinctions above) in your country. Are there any definitions provided in laws, statistics or collective agreements?

There is no precise definition of unskilled labour in Greece. In one sense, an 'unskilled worker' is defined as a worker who has no vocational or educational qualifications, in other words a worker who has no higher formal qualifications such as diplomas or degrees, and no technical specialisation (knowledge of a craft, experience in some type of occupation) or prior service. In another sense, unskilled labour is labour that does not come under any of the branches of insurance regulated by the Social Insurance Foundation (IKA). There have been some attempts by the competent authorities such as the Labour Inspectorate and the Labour Force Employment Organisation (OAED) to define and monitor unskilled labour.

(b) Are there any figures or estimates available on the number of unskilled workers and workers in unskilled jobs, and the extent of unskilled work. How have these figures changed in recent years - have changing skill needs or improvements in education/training systems led to a reduction in the numbers of unskilled jobs, unskilled workers and workers in unskilled jobs? Please break all figures down by gender where possible.

Although defining what constitutes unskilled labour is a particularly complex process, the relevant data derived by the National Statistical Service of Greece (ESYE) from the Labour Force Survey on the distribution of employment by occupational category indicate that the number of unskilled workers is particularly low and does not represent a significant part of overall employment. As can be seen in table 1 below, the number of unskilled workers, manual labourers and small business owners was at its highest level in the third quarter of 2003, when it reached 294,500 out of a total of 4,300,000 employed earners (around 6.8%). By and large, despite wide fluctuations, in the 1998-2004 period the number of unskilled workers increased by 50,000, a fact in part related to the increase in employment in the construction industry, attributable largely to the completion of the works for the 2004 Olympic Games.