Enforcement of Fundamental Workers' Rights - National Report for Greece ______
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DIRECTORATE GENERAL FOR INTERNAL POLICIES POLICY DEPARTMENT A: ECONOMIC AND SCIENTIFIC POLICY Enforcement of Fundamental Workers’ Rights STUDY Abstract This study provides an overview of international and European law regulating a selection of fundamental workers’ rights (freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining, age antidiscrimination, the right to health and safety at work). It then analyses their enforcement in seven Member States (France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Sweden, Netherlands and United Kingdom). On the basis of these findings, it explores possible ways forward for improved enforcement of fundamental workers’ rights in the European Union, not only in times of economic crisis, but in the long term. IP/A/EMPL/ST/2011-04 September 2012 PE 475.115 EN This document was requested by the European Parliament's Committee on Employment and Social Affairs. AUTHORS Dr. Emanuela Canetta (Milieu Ltd) Ms. Styliani Kaltsouni (Milieu Ltd) Prof. Nicole Busby Country reports (for Milieu Ltd): Greece (EL) Ms Styliani Kaltsouni France (FR) Ms Carole Biot-Stuart Hungary (HU) Assoc. Prof. Attila Kun Italy (IT) Mr Alberto Guariso The Netherlands (NL) Dr. Nienke Van Der Burgt Sweden (SE) Ms Agnes Said United Kingdom (UK) Dr. Rebecca Zahn RESPONSIBLE ADMINISTRATOR Dr. Marion Schmid-Drüner Policy Department Economic and Scientific Policy European Parliament B-1047 Brussels E-mail: [email protected] LINGUISTIC VERSIONS Original: EN ABOUT THE EDITOR To contact the Policy Department or to subscribe to its newsletter please write to: [email protected] Manuscript completed in August 2012. Brussels, © European Union, 2012. This document is available on the Internet at: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/studies DISCLAIMER The opinions expressed in this document are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position of the European Parliament. Reproduction and translation for non-commercial purposes are authorised, provided the source is acknowledged and the publisher is given prior notice and sent a copy. Enforcement of Fundamental Workers’ Rights CONTENTS LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS 5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 6 1. INTRODUCTION 11 1.1. Fundamental workers’ rights in times of economic crisis 11 1.2. The fundamental workers’ rights under examination 11 1.3. A working definition of enforcement 14 1.4. Overview of the study 15 2. FUNDAMENTAL WORKERS’ RIGHTS IN INTERNATIONAL LAW 17 2.1. Freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining 17 2.2. Age antidiscrimination 20 2.3. Occupational health and safety 22 3. FUNDAMENTAL WORKERS’ RIGHTS IN EU LAW 24 3.1. Freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining 24 3.2. Age antidiscrimination 28 3.3. Occupational health and safety 31 4. NATIONAL EXPERIENCES ON THE ENFORCEMENT OF A SELECTION OF FUNDAMENTAL WORKERS’ RIGHTS 36 4.1. The Greek (EL) case 36 4.2. The French (FR) case 38 4.3. The Hungarian (HU) case 40 4.4. The Italian (IT) case 41 4.5. The Dutch (NL) case 44 4.6. The Swedish (SE) case 46 4.7. The British (UK) case 48 5. THE ENFORCEMENT OF A SELECTION OF FUNDAMENTAL WORKERS’ RIGHTS IN THE EUROPEAN UNION 51 5.1. Enforcement mechanisms 51 5.2. The impact of international and European law on national enforcement of the selected fundamental workers’ rights 54 5.3. Common problems in national enforcement of the selected fundamental workers’ rights 56 5.4. Positive experiences in national enforcement of the selected fundamental workers’ rights 62 5.5. Common trends in the effect of recent national measures to combat the crisis on the enforcement of the selected fundamental workers’ rights 65 PE 475.115 3 Policy Department: Economic and Scientific Policy 6. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE SELECTED FUNDAMENTAL WORKERS’ RIGHTS 68 6.1. Recommendations for the enforcement of freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining 68 6.2. Recommendations for the enforcement of the right to age antidiscrimination 70 6.3. Recommendations for the enforcement of the right to health and safety at work 71 6.4. General recommendations for the enforcement of the selected fundamental workers’ rights 72 REFERENCES 73 ANNEXES 87 ANNEX 1: NATIONAL REPORT FOR GREECE 89 ANNEX 2: NATIONAL REPORT FOR FRANCE 115 ANNEX 3: NATIONAL REPORT FOR HUNGARY 141 ANNEX 4: NATIONAL REPORT FOR ITALY 167 ANNEX 5: NATIONAL REPORT FOR THE NETHERLANDS 189 ANNEX 6: NATIONAL REPORT FOR SWEDEN 217 ANNEX 7: NATIONAL REPORT FOR THE UNITED KINGDOM 243 4 PE 475.115 Enforcement of Fundamental Workers’ Rights LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ADR Alternative Dispute Resolution AV Swedish Work Environment Authority CAOs Dutch Collective Agreements CGB Dutch Equal Treatment Commission CJEU Court of Justice of the European Union ECHR European Convention on Human Rights ESC European Social Charter (Revised) ETA Hungarian Antidiscrimination Code ICECSR International Covenant on Economic, Cultural and Social Rights ICCPRILO International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ILO International Labour Organisation IKA Greek Social Insurance Organisation MKDSZ Hungarian Labour Mediation and Arbitration Service SEPE Greek Labour Inspectorate SME Small and Medium Enterprises TEU Treaty on European Union TFEU Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union UDHR Universal Declaration of Human Rights UN United Nations WHO World Health Organisation PE 475.115 5 Policy Department: Economic and Scientific Policy EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The enforcement of fundamental workers’ rights is becoming a matter of great concern in these times of economic crisis. Labour market changes due to the crisis (such as rising unemployment rates) and growing State budget deficits could lead to the adoption of measures reducing the level of protection of workers’ rights. The effectiveness of national enforcement systems for workers’ rights is being tested and there is a risk of taking a step backward, as the International Labour Organisation’s Director General Somavia warned in a speech at the European Parliament in mid-September 2011. This study provides an overview of the existing legal instruments, both at international and European level, that guarantee three fundamental workers’ rights: freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining; age antidiscrimination; and the right to health and safety at work. These rights were chosen out of a common core of workers’ rights as contained in relevant international instruments. The study then analyses the enforcement of the selected fundamental rights of workers in a representative group of Member States: Greece; France; Hungary; Italy; the Netherlands; Sweden; and the United Kingdom. The study compares those national results and draws overall conclusions, highlighting common trends, identifying common problems and presenting good practices. The study concludes with a number of recommendations to improve the effectiveness of the enforcement of workers’ rights in Europe. At international level, freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining are guaranteed in numerous legal instruments, particularly those of the ILO, in view of the links between these rights and the ability of workers to secure their economic and social status. Age antidiscrimination is receiving increasing attention although international standards for the fight against age discrimination are still limited. Finally, ILO and WHO measures have extensively addressed the right to health and safety at work. At EU level, freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining are recognised as fundamental rights in the EU but EU competence to regulate them is not entirely clear. To fight against age discrimination, the EU legislator and the Court of Justice of the EU have set more stringent requirements than the international standards. Moreover, they fight age discrimination for the elderly and the youth alike. The EU has also developed a comprehensive and advanced regulatory framework in the area of occupational health and safety. The national legal frameworks in place in the seven Member States for the protection of the selected fundamental workers’ rights do not differ to a great extent and generally provide for an effective system of enforcement of these rights. This is due in part to the influence of international and EU law standards, which provide for some similarities in the main national principles and rules. EU law played a major role in the introduction of the principle of age antidiscrimination and regulated its enforcement providing in particular for the reversed burden of proof which is now implemented in all studied countries. The vast international and EU acquits on health and safety at work has also provided for a sound legal framework in the seven countries, establishing high level standards for the enforcement of this right. Finally, while international law and especially ILO Conventions had an effect on the enforcement of freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining, national enforcement traditions and cultures of social dialogue have had a greater impact on the regulation of these rights. The degree of state intervention in the exercise of these rights in the seven countries also varies. In some cases detailed rules have been developed for 6 PE 475.115 Enforcement of Fundamental Workers’ Rights recognition of trade unions for the purposes of collective bargaining (such as in France and the United Kingdom) and