Council of Europe condemns – again – Greek austerity measures
Beginning of this week, the decisions of the European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR), the main supervisory body monitoring the implementation of the (revised) European Social Charter of the Council of Europe in five collective complaints against Greece were made public. The complainant Greek trade union organisations had criticised the massive reductions in social security benefits imposed both in the private and public sector, particularly in relation to pension rights. The ECSR concluded that Greece is in violation of the right to social security enshrined in the European Social Charter. (1)
The ETUC contributed to these proceedings by submitting joint observations in all five cases also asking the ECSR to conclude non-conformity with the requirements of the European Social Charter’s. (2)
"It is a clear signal to the Greek authorities but in particular to the European Commission and the European Central Bank as well as the International Monetary Fund to urgently stop urging countries to implement austerity measures leading to dramatic cuts among others in pension benefits and which are violating the international obligations of the countries concerned" stated Bernadette Ségol, ETUC General Secretary.
The ETUC recalls also that end 2012 the ECSR considered other Greek austerity measures, amongst others on cuts in the minimum salary for workers under 25 years which meant these young Greek workers fell below the poverty line, were in violation with the European Social Charters. (3)
(1) http://www.coe.int/T/DGHL/Monitorin...
(2) http://www.etuc.org/a/10277
(3) http://www.etuc.org/a/10476
For more information on the European Social Charter and the collective complaints: http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/monitorin...
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