Background information

The post-pandemic period has highlighted the contradictions in the Greek labor market, particularly the difficulty in matching supply and demand for jobs. The restrictive measures on migration and international trends led to a significant outflow of labor from Greece. The recovery of sectors such as construction and tourism created new employment needs, while unemployment decreased. At the same time, the population decline, energy crisis, and rising housing costs have fueled the migration of workers, both Greek and foreign, to countries with better conditions. The shortage of labor in key sectors highlighted the need for better organization of the labor market, through the recruitment of workers from third countries. Based on the proposals of social partners, the Economic and Social Council issued its opinion (No. 335) on November 15, 2023, regarding the processes of entry, residence, and employment of workers from third countries

Content of measure

The opinion of the Economic and Social Council (OKE) of Greece proposes a series of measures for the effective recruitment of workers from third countries to meet labor demands, particularly in seasonal positions. The Council's involvement and consultation with social and other market stake holders at the regional level are considered crucial for understanding both the quantitative and qualitative needs in the labor market. Furthermore, it suggests the creation of a seasonal workers' registry, the establishment of a database, the review of regulations concerning the maximum duration of stay, the issuance of valid residence permits to workers already residing in the country and the enhancement of workers' living conditions by utilizing existing housing stock and tax incentives. The Council emphasizes the need to simplify procedures and ensure equal treatment of recruited workers compared to domestic workers, while also proposing the use of the workforce from refugee accommodation structures. Additionally, the OKE calls for the development of a strategy for the social integration of refugees, the support of family reunification, and more favorable residence arrangements for workers, with the aim of strengthening the local labor market and combating undeclared work. Moreover, the OKE has proposed specific interventions for the tourism, construction, and agricultural sectors.

Use of measure

The opinion of the OKE on the conditions and procedures for the entry, residence, and employment of workers from third countries is a policy proposal, with the aim of contrib-uting to the public debate

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Migrants or refugees in employment	Applies to all businesses	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
Social partners jointly Employers' organisations Other social actors (e.g. NGOs) Local / regional government	No special funding required

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	Consulted	Agreed (outcome) incl. social partner initiative
Form	Consultation through tripartite or bipartite social dialogue bodies	Consultation through tripartite or bipartite social dialogue bodies

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• Social partners jointly
• Main level of involvement: Peak or cross-sectoral level

Involvement

The formulation of the opinion itself is the result of social dialogue, in which the proposals of social partners were involved and utilized

Views and reactions

The formulation of the opinion itself is the result of social dialogue, in which the proposals of social partners were involved and utilized

Sources

• 15 November 2023: Γνώμη Πρωτοβουλίας Ο.Κ.Ε «Προϋποθέσεις και διαδικασίες εισόδου, διαμονής και εργασίας εργαζομένων πολιτών τρίτων χωρών» (oke.gr)