23. Case No. 464 (complaints by the Federation of Bank Employees' Organisations and by the Pan-Hellenic Federation of Workers in Electricity and Public Utility Undertakings) goes back to December 1965. There were two series of allegations-the first relating to the arrest and trial of the General Secretary of the Ionian and People's Bank Employees' Association, and the second relating to pressures exerted by the management of the Commercial Bank-Ionian and People's Bank consortium on members of the existing trade unions in an attempt to induce them to leave their unions and to the formation of a " company union ". As regards the first series of allegations, the Committee made its final recommendations to the Governing Body, which approved them, in paragraphs 259 to 262 (a) of its 93rd Report. As regards the second series, the Committee, at its session in May 1967, asked the Director-General to obtain certain additional information from the Government. This information was supplied in a communication dated December 1967.
- 23. Case No. 464 (complaints by the Federation of Bank Employees' Organisations and by the Pan-Hellenic Federation of Workers in Electricity and Public Utility Undertakings) goes back to December 1965. There were two series of allegations-the first relating to the arrest and trial of the General Secretary of the Ionian and People's Bank Employees' Association, and the second relating to pressures exerted by the management of the Commercial Bank-Ionian and People's Bank consortium on members of the existing trade unions in an attempt to induce them to leave their unions and to the formation of a " company union ". As regards the first series of allegations, the Committee made its final recommendations to the Governing Body, which approved them, in paragraphs 259 to 262 (a) of its 93rd Report. As regards the second series, the Committee, at its session in May 1967, asked the Director-General to obtain certain additional information from the Government. This information was supplied in a communication dated December 1967.
- 24. Case No. 508 consists of a complaint by the Pan-Hellenic Federation of Workers in Electricity and Public Utility Undertakings, submitted in two communications, one in February and the other in March 1967. It was alleged that Mr. Hadjivassiliou, an employee of the Athens Gas Company and General Secretary of the Federation, had been summoned to appear before a loyalty board. In its comments the Government confirmed that Mr. Hadjivassiliou had been originally summoned to appear before a board of this kind in his capacity as an employee of the gas undertaking; later, however, the board in question was not considered competent to deal with the matter, so that the summons served on Mr. Hadjivassiliou had become null and void. At its session in November 1967 the Committee observed that, since the situation complained of had ceased to exist, it would in the normal course of events have recommended that the Governing Body should not pursue the matter further. However, it noted that since the complaint had been lodged certain events had occurred in Greece; these events had had certain consequences in the field of labour relations, with the result that fresh complaints had been lodged with the I.L.O by the World Federation of Trade Unions (W.F.T.U.), the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (I.C.F.T.U.), and the International Federation of Christian Trade Unions (I.F.C.T.U.). These complaints constitute Case No. 519 which, inter alia, mentions that the Pan-Hellenic Federation of Workers in Electricity and Public Utility Undertakings has been dissolved. This being so, the Committee took the view that it would be better to postpone consideration of Case No. 508 until such time as the questions arising in Case No. 519 had been elucidated.
- 25. Case No. 517 consists of a complaint by the Pan-Hellenic Federation of Workers in Electricity and Public Utility Undertakings dated 15 April 1967; it contains certain allegations about police brutality following a trade union meeting. Here again, the Committee at its session in May 1967 decided that, in view of the circumstances, it should take no action on this complaint.
The Committee's recommendations
The Committee's recommendations
- 26. All the events alleged in these three cases have now been overshadowed by subsequent developments in Greece, which have affected the whole status of Greek trade unions. Since this question is the subject of Case No. 519, now pending before the Committee, the latter feels that, as things are at present, it would be pointless to pursue its consideration of Cases Nos. 464, 508 and 517. It therefore recommends the Governing Body to take no further action thereon, it being understood that the general question of the position of trade unions in Greece remains on the Committee's agenda in the form of Case No. 519.
