Social Dialogue in the Era of Memoranda: The Consequences of Austerity and Deregulation Measures on the Greek Social Partnership Process

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to contribute to the current debate on the consequences of joint EC-ECB-IMF Programmes that directly impact on the Greek industrial relation system via an analysis of the changes in the institutional framework of the labour market and the social partnership process. Moreover, it will test the hypothesis that the Memoranda have had a negative impact on the quality of social dialogue in Greece. The paper examines immense transformations in the Greek industrial relations system and evaluates the direction of change in the field of social dialogue. Furthermore, it analyses how the radical changes introduced since 2010, which have amended essential features of the Greek labour legislation, have promoted significant implications for the role of social partners. Finally, using a comparative assessment, it examines the impact of EC-ECB-IMF Programmes on the reshape of the national industrial relations system towards highly decentralized collective bargaining, and the abandonment of social dialogue as an essential means to influence economic and social policy.