The GSEE welcomed the submission of the draft law transposing Directive (EU) 2023/970 on wage transparency, to the formulation of which it contributed with detailed proposals within the framework of the social dialogue required by the directive itself, social dialogue required by the Directive itself, which were largely accepted by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security.
Among these are:
a) the recognition of the pivotal role of collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) as a positive measure both for compliance with the wage transparency requirement and as a practical contribution to the implementation of the National Social Agreement for the strengthening of CBAs,
b) the restoration of institutional social dialogue through the reactivation of the relevant gender equality department of the Supreme Labor Council, with the restoration of equal tripartite participation therein; and
c) facilitating access to the authorities by enabling remote participation through the use of appropriate electronic services (e.g., e-presence) in the examination of their complaints by employees who reside or work in areas (primarily islands) where neither the Labor Inspectorate nor the Ombudsman’s Office operates.
The expected effectiveness of the measures to transpose this directive—aimed at achieving equality and fairness in working conditions—is unfortunately undermined by the inclusion in the same draft law of a provision that further expands the exceptions to the Sunday rest requirement, thereby subjecting larger groups of workers to intensified workloads and putting their health and safety at risk, especially during the summer and under extreme weather conditions. It is particularly striking that the vast majority of businesses covered by this exemption belong to a sector where critical collective bargaining is currently underway to conclude a national sectoral collective bargaining agreement.
The GSEE calls on the Ministry of Labor and Social Security to withdraw the provision of Article 37 from the draft law currently under discussion and awaiting a vote in Parliament, due to its serious negative impact on workers, particularly on their health and safety.