Small and medium-sized enterprises protest at Government policies

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Since early September 1997, small and medium-sized enterprises in Greece have been organising demonstrations in protest at the impact of government economic policy on their activities.

According to a resolution adopted by the executive committee of the General Confederation of Greek Small Businesses and Trades (GSEVEE), protests throughout Greece are expected to culminate on 26 November in simultaneous meetings, marches, demonstrations and other forms of public display, to be decided by its local branches. The principal matters that concern small and medium-sized enterprises (SME s) are: the content of the 1998 state Budget; the new tripartite Confidence pact on the way to the year 2000; and the proposal by the Ministry of Development to restructure and decentralise the Hellenic Organisation of Small and Medium-Sized Industries and Handicrafts (EOMMEX).

Apart from their opposition to the 1998 Budget (GR9711139N), owners of SMEs are also expressing their dissatisfaction with the November 1997 "Confidence Pact" between the Government and social partner organisations (GR9711138F), which the GSEVEE refused to sign because, in its view, the final text completely ignored the demands of SMEs. According to the GSEVEE, none of its conditions were met and there was no political commitment to accept any of its proposals in the future. Mention is also made of the fact that discussions on development and taxation questions took place outside the framework of the social dialogue. This, it is claimed, resulted in measures detrimental to SMEs being taken outside the dialogue, and in there being no possibility of resolving problems within the dialogue.

As regards EOMMEX, the president of the GSEVEE has stated that his organisation is opposed to any governmental decision to narrow its services and framework of action by abolishing its branches and turning it into a mere figurehead. On this matter, the executive committee of the GSEVEE decided to take joint action with EOMMEX's employees. In a memorandum to the Minister of Development, the GSEVEE stresses that EOMMEX plays an irreplaceable part in the development of SMEs, especially in the regions, and remarks that:

• EOMMEX is in need of modernisation and upgrading;

• EOMMEX must retain its regional offices, to avoid becoming a service merely for the capital, cut off from the regions; and

• the staff of EOMMEX is a large, important and highly-specialised workforce which supports SMEs across all sectors.