Brief Description of Employees’ and Employers’ Associations
Trade union activity in Greece is primarily regulated by Law 1264/1982, which guarantees freedom of association and establishes the legal framework governing the organisation and functioning of trade unions. Trade unions operate at several levels, including company-level unions, sectoral or occupational unions, federations and confederations. At the national level, the most prominent confederations include the General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE) representing private sector employees and the Civil Servants’ Confederation (ADEDY) representing public sector employees.
Employers may also form employers’ associations, which represent the interests of businesses in collective labour relations. Such associations participate in collective bargaining processes and may conclude collective labour agreements at company, sectoral, professional, local or national level.
Rights and Importance of Trade Unions
Greek trade unions benefit from a comprehensive framework of statutory protections aimed at ensuring their effective functioning, autonomy and independence. In particular, they enjoy the right to organise and operate freely, without interference or obstruction by the employer, in line with the constitutional guarantee of trade union freedom. They are vested with the right to engage in collective bargaining and to conclude collective labour agreements at enterprise, sectoral and national level.
In addition, trade unions are granted a series of institutional rights facilitating their practical operation within the undertaking. These include the right to maintain a website or a physical notice board within the employer’s premises, to use suitable facilities for holding general assemblies, and, in certain cases, to be provided with office space for the conduct of their activities. They are also entitled to distribute announcements, to communicate freely with employees at the workplace, and to request regular meetings with the employer, typically on a monthly basis, in order to discuss matters of mutual interest. Furthermore, trade union representatives have the right to be present during labour inspections and to receive information and be consulted on issues affecting employees’ interests.
Trade unions are also empowered to organise industrial action, including the right to strike, subject to compliance with the procedural and substantive requirements laid down by law. Moreover, they have standing to represent employees before civil and administrative courts, as well as before public authorities and labour inspectorates, thereby reinforcing their role as collective representatives of the workforce.
Trade union representatives themselves benefit from enhanced legal protection, particularly against dismissal and unilateral transfer. Such measures are intended to safeguard their independence and ensure that they can carry out their representative functions without fear of retaliation or adverse treatment by the employer.
Types of Representation
Employee representation in Greece is characterised by a pluralistic structure, in which different forms of representation coexist and operate either independently or in parallel, depending on the size of the undertaking and the presence of trade union organisation. The system is primarily governed by Law 1264/1982 and, with regard to works councils, by Law 1767/1988.
The principal form of representation is exercised through trade unions, which constitute the core mechanism of employee representation in the Greek industrial relations system. Trade unions may be established at company level or at sectoral or occupational level and act as the main bodies responsible for collective bargaining, the conclusion of collective labour agreements and the defence of employees’ collective interests.
a. Number of Representatives
The number of employee representatives is determined by the internal rules of the organisation. In relation to works councils, which are governed by Law 1767/1988, the number of representatives increases progressively according to the workforce size, with smaller undertakings having fewer representatives and larger undertakings having a broader representative structure. Health and safety committees are established in undertakings employing at least fifty employees and are composed of employee representatives elected for that purpose.
b. Appointment of Representatives
Trade union representatives are elected by the members of the union in accordance with democratic procedures laid down in the union’s statutes. Works council members are elected by the entire workforce of the undertaking, irrespective of union membership. With regard to health and safety representation, in undertakings employing more than fifty employees, a Health and Safety Committee is established, which is composed of elected employee representatives chosen within the undertaking. These representatives are selected by the workforce and form a collective body whose composition depends on the size of the undertaking. In undertakings employing at least twenty employees, but where no full committee is formed, employees still retain the right to elect representatives specifically responsible for health and safety matters. In smaller undertakings with fewer than twenty employees, the law adopts a more flexible approach: employees may meet and, by majority decision, designate a single representative, who is typically appointed for a fixed term of two years.
Tasks and Obligations of Representatives
Employee representatives are entrusted with the task of representing and defending the interests of employees in their relations with the employer. Their functions include participation in collective bargaining, monitoring the application of labour legislation and collective labour agreements, and engaging in information and consultation processes. They also play an important role in promoting health and safety in the workplace. In carrying out their duties, representatives are required to act in good faith, respect confidentiality obligations where sensitive business information is involved, and refrain from any abuse of their rights.
Employees’ Representation in Management
Greek law does not provide for mandatory employee representation at board level or within corporate management bodies. Employee participation in management is therefore indirect and primarily exercised through mechanisms of information and consultation, as well as through collective bargaining structures. In larger undertakings, works councils may play a consultative role, while in multinational companies, employee participation may also take place through European Works Councils established under EU legislation. Overall, the Greek system places greater emphasis on collective labour relations rather than on co-determination within corporate governance structures.
Other Types of Employee Representative Bodies
In addition to trade unions, Greek law provides for other forms of employee representation. Works councils, established under Law 1767/1988, operate in undertakings with at least fifty employees and are responsible for information and consultation on workplace matters. Health and safety committees may be formed in undertakings employing at least fifty employees and are tasked with monitoring working conditions and promoting preventive measures.
In specific circumstances, additional forms of employee representation may arise. For example, in cases of collective redundancies or transfers of undertakings, employee representatives must be informed and consulted in accordance with statutory requirements. Where no formal representative body exists, employees may elect ad hoc representatives for the purposes of these procedures.
