Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 17-03-30

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] ANA 'sneak-peek' at draft out-of-court settlement bill; all businesses eligible

[02] Greek employers and GSEE trade union confederation sign national collective labour agreement

[03] European Court tells Greece to pay damages to 42 migrants in human rights case

[01] ANA 'sneak-peek' at draft out-of-court settlement bill; all businesses eligible

Discussion on the draft bill is due to begin before the relevant Parliamentary committee on Friday afternoon, initiating the process that will turn it into law.

The measure will be open to all businesses, including single-person companies, provided their total debts to the public sector, social insurance funds, suppliers and banks up until December 31, 2016 amount to at least 20,000 euros. The process can also begin, however, if 50 pct or more of the company's creditors express an interest in doing so.

Even the smallest over-indebted companies are eligible under the provisions of the draft law, provided that they succeeded in covering their operating costs for at least one economic year during the last three years. It also offers an opportunity to reach a settlement tailored to the needs of the business and its real capacity to service its debts, which may include generous interest-rate cuts, lengthy repayment extensions and even debt write-offs.

The bill further envisages that creditors and debts are free to decide the content of their debt restructuring agreement and allows 120 monthly installments for the settlement of debts to the state and social insurance funds, with a minimum monthly payment of 50 euros. It also allows a 60 pct majority of creditors to "impose" an agreement on the minority while fully protecting small creditors, who can demand full payment of any sums they are owed.

[02] Greek employers and GSEE trade union confederation sign national collective labour agreement

Employer groups signing the agreement included the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV), the Hellenic Confederation of Professionals, Craftsmen & Merchants (GSEVEE), the Hellenic Confederation of Commerce and Entrepreneurship (ESEE) and the Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE).

All the terms established under previous labour agreements will also remain in force under the new national collective labour agreement, including the three-year maturation periods, marriage bonus, Christmas and Easter bonuses, holiday bonuses and terms for the protection of motherhood, fatherhood, single-parent families and working parents. These will include measures for a 40-hour working week and those for vulnerable employee categories.

The 2017 agreement also stipulates that the parties signing the agreement agree that, if there is a lifting of current restrictions that were imposed on the the National General Collective Labour Agreements of 2010-2011-2012 by law, and then negotiations will begin immediately to decide the salary terms of the new collective agreement.

GSEE said the new agreement contained clauses referring to health and safety at work, undeclared labour, discrimination, racism and intolerance but agreement between all sides could not be reached on two more demands in the 2017 agenda, due to time pressure and the "deterrent" framework in which the talks were conducted. GSEE said it would seek to continue dialogue on these issues and, if there was a convergence of opinions, to draw up an additional protocol attached to the 2017 collective labour agreement.

[03] European Court tells Greece to pay damages to 42 migrants in human rights case

The Court held that Greece was to pay each of the applicants who had participated in the proceedings before the assize court 16,000 euros, and each of the other applicants 12,000 euros in respect of all the damage sustained, plus 4,363.64 euros to the applicants jointly in respect of costs and expenses.

The case concerned 42 Bangladeshi nationals who did not have work permits and were subjected to forced labour. Their employers had recruited them from October 2012 to February 2013 to pick strawberries on a farm promising them a wage of 22 euros for seven hours' work and three euros for each hour of overtime.

Their employers obliged them to work in difficult physical conditions under the supervision of armed guards and failed to pay the applicants' wages. When the workers requested their unpaid wages they were shot at by foremen.

The two employers, together with the guard who had opened fire and an armed overseer, were arrested and tried for attempted murder – subsequently reclassified as grievous bodily harm – and also for trafficking in human beings. In July 2014, the assize court acquitted them of the charge of trafficking in human beings, convicted the armed guard and one of the employers of grievous bodily harm and unlawful use of firearms but their prison sentences were commuted to a financial penalty.

"The Court found, firstly, that the applicants' situation was one of human trafficking and forced labour, and specified that exploitation through labour was one aspect of trafficking in human beings," the court said in its ruling.

It also held that the State had failed to conduct an effective investigation into the offences committed and to punish those responsible for the trafficking.

Commenting on the ruling, Justice Minister Stavros Kontonis said it shows "the situation which prevailed in the country" during the coalition government of New Democracy and PASOK.

He said SYRIZA had warned since then about the disgraceful situation in which the migrants lived and the country's upcoming conviction and had asked to change the employment status and living conditions of foreign workers. "Unfortunately we were not heard so now the country was accused and convicted."

Kontonis said the responsibilities of ND and PASOK go beyond the usual political responsibilities because the international condemnation hurts the country's "national dignity", for which ND and PASOK systematically ignore.

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