Soumeli, Eva

In June 1999, an enterprise-level collective agreement for 1999-2000 was signed by the management of the Public Power Corporation (DEI) and the DEI General Staff Federation (GENOP-DEI). Among other provisions, the accord provides for job security in the current reorganisation and deregulation of the electricity market.

A national occupational collective agreement on pay and working conditions for workers in Greek notary offices was concluded in April 1999. The deal provides for particularly favourable working conditions, mainly as regards terms and conditions such as annual leave and time off for childcare.

Late April 1999 saw the introduction of a new regulatory framework governing the leave of permanent civil servants and staff of local authorities in Greece. The effect is to provide for more leave, including extended annual holidays and the introduction, extension or legislative confirmation of a variety of types of leave related to specific circumstances (such as weddings, sickness or court appearances).

In a May 1999 ruling, Greece's Supreme Court found that different retirement ages for women and men are discriminatory and ruled that women must retire at the same age as men (65). The effect is to raise women's retirement age by up to seven years, and the GSEE trade union confederation is opposed to any such increase.

After several weeks of hard bargaining, conditions were still not right in April 1999 for the conclusion of a new collective agreement in the Greek banking sector. The employers' side proposed the pilot implementation of a 35-hour working week as a counter to the trade union demand for general implementation of the 35-hour week without loss of pay.

On 2 April 1999, Greek trade unions (GSEE and ADEDY) and employers' organisations (GSEVEE and ESEE) organised an unprecedented joint action against the war in Yugoslavia, including a two-hour work stoppage. Meanwhile, GSEE took international-level initiatives aimed at finding a solution and ending the military intervention.

In February 1999, the GSEE trade union confederation announced that it would not participate in a process of social dialogue on tax reform, organised by the Greek government. However, the decision was only narrowly approved by the GSEE leadership.

On 17 March 1999, a well-supported one-day nationwide strike was held by trade unions representing Greek construction workers. The unions' demands centred on the calculation of social insurance contributions, violations of labour legislation and housing issues.

In March 1999, the VIS packaging company, based in the Greek town of Volos, announced to its workers its decision to introduce a system of "rotating employment" - ie temporarily placing workers on short-term work. The workers rejected the decision and proceeded to call for industrial action.

Over early 1999, the Greek Federation of Bank Employee Unions (OTOE) has given top priority to the perceived problem of breaches of contractual working time rules, along with violations of labour legislation and collective agreements, by banking employers. The union has called on the authorities to act and has taken joint action with the GSEE union confederation.