Definitive Report - Report No 83, 1965

Case No 333 (Greece) - Complaint date: 11-MAR-63 - Closed

1. 14. The Committee examined the present complaint at its 35th Session (November 1963). On that occasion an interim report was submitted, which was approved by the Governing Body at its 159th Session (June-July 1964).

A. A. The complainants' allegations

1. 15. The complainants' essential allegation was that in September 1962 a Bill (of which they supplied the text) was tabled in Parliament with a view to amending and supplementing the provisions of Act No. 3239 of 1955 concerning the manner of settling collective disputes. According to the complainants, the provisions of this Bill were in many respects contrary to the requirements of Conventions Nos. 87 and 98, which Greece has ratified. It was in particular alleged that compulsory contributions to a specific organisation would infringe the right of workers to belong to the organisations of their choice.
2. 16. The Bill was also criticised for failing to provide for the repeal of anti-trade union provisions contained in the existing legislation.
3. 17. The Government then in power, in the observations which it furnished on 18 May 1963, endeavoured to show that if this Bill were adopted it would considerably liberalise the existing arrangements with regard to trade union matters and argued that the Bill was in no respect contrary to the provisions of Conventions No. 87 and 98.
4. 18. At its session in November 1963 the Committee observed that the government which had introduced the Bill in question, and which had presented its observations regarding the complaint, had been replaced by another government; it therefore recommended the Governing Body to request the new Government to be good enough to state whether the Bill in question was still before Parliament and what was the probable future course with regard to discussion of that Bill. This recommendation was approved by the Governing Body at its 159th Session (June-July 1964).
5. 19. The Greek Government was informed of this request by a letter dated 18 June 1964 and replied by a communication dated 23 February 1965.
6. 20. The Government's reply that the present Government does not intend to take it up again.

The Committee's recommendations

1. 21. In these circumstances the Committee considers that it would be purposeless to pursue the matter further and recommends the Governing Body to decide that the case does not call for further examination.