The intense concern and reaction of the trade unions SEK – PEO – DEOK are expressed in a joint statement, calling on the government to terminate the existing process followed for a year now, “without transparency and comprehensive regulation of the employment strategy of foreign workers, resulting in the deregulation of the labor market and encouraging labor exploitation and degradation of the Collective Agreements institution.”
As the unions state, “Unfortunately, for a year now, the government has been proceeding without any consultation, bypassing social dialogue, in granting work permits to workers from third countries, without taking into account the positions of the Trade Union Organizations, as submitted to the Ministry of Labor, both within the framework of the Labor Advisory Board, and in the technical committee established for this purpose, which has reached an impasse.”
Our concern has increased, they add, as during the recent press conference, the President of the Republic proceeded with announcements regarding the issue without any reference to the need for the implementation of Collective Labor Agreements.
The trade unions recognize the need arising from the lack of available human resources in specific sectors of the economy, they add, noting that “they do not disagree with granting permits where and when the need is proven based on the real needs of the market, through a structured process that takes into account all factors.”
The demand of the trade unions is for work permits for foreigners to be granted only in sectors and professions where there is deemed to be no local workforce available, but also where all avenues for attracting and employing community workers have been exhausted, “a fact that has been deliberately neglected in recent years, through an effort aimed at employing very cheap and unskilled labor, at the expense of other workers and creating unfair competition among businesses.”
At the same time, it is highlighted that, with the uncontrolled employment of cheap unskilled labor, businesses show no interest in adopting measures leading to increased productivity.
Additionally, the organizations demand the setting of standard criteria and the regulation of qualitatively satisfactory living conditions for workers from third countries to avoid phenomena of human exploitation that internationally offend our country.
Finally, the trade unions demand the immediate convergence of the Labor Advisory Board for discussion and resolution on this issue, taking into account the fact that time is particularly tight in the two major sectors of the economy (hotels and construction) “and they will not bear responsibility if we are led to labor unrest during the critical period starting in a few months.”