In the hands of the state is expected to pass the spread of sectoral collective agreements and increases in wages from 2026.
It may be – with the Cemetery Law of 2024 – to be part of the country’s working institutional framework the obligation to form an action plan (by the state) after consulting with social partners with the aim of encouraging collective agreements (and thus increasing wages), but its critical tools have not yet been set.
They will be determined by law prepared by the Ministry of Labor for the fall of 2025 to encourage collective bargaining and thus signing sectoral collective agreements, which will provide for salaries over the minimum wage.
The upcoming law on collective bargaining will be the “basic trunk” of the National Action Plan for the gradual increase in trade union coverage in Greece (in accordance with the relevant Community Directive which applies to all EU Member States) to 80% of the working class.
Today, the percentage of trade union coverage is about 20% meager. The public dialogue, so far, has focused in particular on the percentage in order to declare a sectoral collective agreement compulsory – expandable. Under Hatzidakis Law (20212), the rate is 50%.
What does this mean? That in order to have a mandatory application to the non -members of an employer union signing a sectoral collective agreement, the businesses – members of this employer union, should employ 50% of the employees in the industry and thus be considered representative of this contract…
This high percentage combined with a series of bureaucratic trade union registries (employers and workers) in which their absolute majority has not yet registered, is, according to market circles, the main reasons for not spreading sectoral contracts.
However, sources of newsit.gr with a very good knowledge of collective bargaining and processes in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Work, pointing out two critical issues:
1. Even to decrease the above percentage of the representative clause, B.C. At 40% or even 30%, we would not automatically drive a massive spread of sectoral contracts.
And this is because there could be a wave of businesses withdrawing from sectoral employers’ associations again that their business members would not collect 40% or 30% of the industry employees.
Thus, the “ball” falls into the hands of the state: What will he do in this case to sign collective agreements? One proposal on the table is to strengthen the interventional role of the Mediation and Arbitration Organization. It is recalled that by the law passed by this Government, the possibility of unilateral appeal of employees or employers to OMED for the signing of a collective agreement was abolished and a bilateral appeal is required.
Although the return to the previous regime is not considered, the table may be more interventionist in the signing of sectoral collective agreements and increases, taking into account not only the demands of employers and employees in an industry, as well as the elements of the economy based on new data mechanisms.
In addition, the Community directive incorporated by the government in 2024 leaves a clear room for a “imposition” of a collective agreement by the state, after consulting with the social partners (if the social partners do not find them).
2. The second issue is raised as follows: Even if the institutional and social conditions were created for the spread of sectoral collective agreements, how will Greece reach the goal of 80% trade union coverage starting at 20%? This is a tetrad of the relative rate!
In relation to this question, the same sources of newsit.gr say that two disciplines can contribute to which employees in Greece:
One industry is that of retail and the other of private employees. Related sectoral, labor and employer associations, there are. So it remains to be put forward to sign collective agreements, the same sources point out.