Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2002, published 91st ILC session (2003)

Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) - Greece (Ratification: 1986)

The Committee notes the information provided by the Government in its reports.

Article 1 of the Convention. The Committee recalls that by ratifying the Convention, the State undertook to pursue a national policy designed to ensure the effective abolition of child labour and to raise progressively the minimum age for admission to employment or work to a level consistent with the fullest physical and mental development of young persons. The Committee therefore requests the Government to supply any relevant information on this subject.

Article 3, paragraph 3. The Committee notes that section 7(5) of Presidential Decree No. 62 of 1998 provides that with the permission of the competent labour inspectorate and upon the employer’s application, derogations from the prohibition of employment in work that is liable to prejudice the health, safety or development of young persons may be granted where such work is necessary for their vocational training. This work must be performed under the supervision of the safety technician and/or the occupational physician or protection and prevention services capable of ensuring the protection of the safety and health of young persons under 18 years of age and on condition that the protection prescribed by the Presidential Decree is ensured. The Committee notes that under the terms of section 2(c) of Presidential Decree No. 62 of 1998, the term adolescent means any young person of at least 15 years but less than 18 years of age who has ceased compulsory education. The Committee recalls that, by virtue of Article 3, paragraph 3, of the Convention, the employment or work of young persons may be authorized, after consultation with the organizations of employers and workers concerned, and on condition that their health, safety and morals are fully protected and that they have received adequate specific instruction or vocational training. The Committee requests the Government to provide information concerning the measures which have been taken or are envisaged to give effect to this provision of the Convention by providing that no person under 16 years of age may be authorized to perform hazardous work and to ensure that prior consultations are held with employers’ and workers’ organizations.

Article 7, paragraphs 1 and 3. Section 1(3) of Presidential Decree No. 62 of 1998 lays down that, without prejudice to section 7, the provisions of Act No. 1837 of 1989 and of Decree No. 62 of 1998 do not apply to occasional light work of short duration in agricultural, forestry and stock-raising activities of a family nature. The Committee notes that, by virtue of section 2(d) of Presidential Decree No. 62 of 1998, light work is understood to be any type of work that by the nature of its processes and the conditions under which it is performed is not such as to harm the safety, health or development of children, nor to affect their regular school attendance, their participation in programmes of vocational guidance or vocational training approved by the competent authority, or their ability to benefit from the education that is provided to them. As neither Presidential Decree No. 62 of 1998 nor Act No. 1837 of 1989 refer to the age for admission to employment or work in the case of light work, the Committee requests the Government to indicate the minimum age for admission to such work. Furthermore, it requests the Government to indicate the list of activities considered to constitute light work, and the relevant conditions of employment, in accordance with Article 7, paragraph 3, of the Convention.

The Committee requests the Government to provide a copy of Act No. 2956 of 2001 (Official Journal 258/A) on the restructuring of the employment service and other measures.