Union Rights, Romania, Greece

The GSEE and ADEDY private and public sector trade union confederations organised a 24-hour general strike on 10 June in protest at draft legislation on labour law changes. The confederations are particularly concerned that the new law will allow individual worker contracts that will undermine the eight-hour day and increase overtime. They are also protesting over further attacks on the right to strike and the weakening of the labour inspectorate. EPSU sent a solidarity message. Meanwhile, the OME-EYDAP water trade union has been mobilising to resist job cuts and other threats to pay and

The European and global trade union confederations (ETUC and ITUC) have written to the Romanian government to protest against the decision not to implement a pay increase for public sector workers. The letter also challenges the government on anti-union statements and threats to remove the right of trade unions to collect membership fees through check-off. EPSU also wrote to the government along similar lines in January and followed up this letter in March – with no reply received so far to either letter.

The Sanitas health trade union has managed to negotiate a collective agreement in the sector despite the strict representative rules that make it extremely difficult to negotiate sector deals in Romania. The agreement confirms many of the rights the union has won over the years and ensures that they apply uniformly across the country. Among the most important elements are holiday entitlement (21-30 days depending on length of service), the role of the trade union in personnel policy, collective redundancies and disciplinary procedures and measures to support nurses' further education and

The ADEDY public services and GSEE private sector confederations organised a day of protest on 15 January against the latest austerity measures being voted on in Parliament as part of the package agreed with European lenders. The measures will mean further cuts to public service employment, cuts to pensions and tax allowances and restrictions on the right to strike.

A 24-hour strike called by the ADEDY and GSEE confederations on 14 December had widespread impact on public services across the country. The confederations were protesting at further austerity measures with plans for cuts in pensions and take-home pay as well as threats to the right to strike. EPSU sent a solidarity message.

The ADEDY civil service confederation along with the GSEE private sector confederation have called a general strike on 14 December in protest against the latest austerity measures proposed by the government. The unions want to see an end to pay freezes, steps towards decent pay and no reduction in tax allowances. They reject plans for further cuts to pensions and call for the creation of permanent jobs to deal with staffing shortages across the public services. The confederations also want to block any restrictions on the right to strike.

(June 2017) An interview with a member of a Commission appointed by the Greek government and the Troika provides an overview of the massive negative impact of reforms on the collective bargaining system and the continuing pressure for reforms, particularly coming from the International Monetary Fund, that flies in the face of the position of the Greek government, trade unions and employers.

(May 2017) The ADEDY public sector confederation expressed its thanks to the thousands of workers who joined the general strike and rallies on 17 May. The strike was to express opposition to further austrity measures being put forward as part of the bail-out package being negotiated between the government and the European creditors and International Monetary Fund. The strike was jointly called by the GSEE private sector confederation and supported by the International Trade Union Confederation.

(April 2016) The European and International trade union confederations (ETUC and ITUC) have criticised the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for calling for further changes to Greek laws on strikes, collective bargaining and employment protection. The IMF demands have not been taken up by the European Commission and are not even supported by the Greek employers. An article by EPSU also highlights how the IMF position ignores the recommendations of a committee of experts that reported at the end of last year.