Greek unions object to Ergani employment database

Three unions have filed an injunction with the Council of State, the country’s highest administrative court, to protest a ministerial decision obliging registration on a national register, on the grounds that it is unconstitutional and contravenes the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

According to Ministerial Law 4808/2021, signed in September, the Ergani labor database will include a General Registry of Unions of Employees and a General Registry of Unions of Employers that will include the number of members and other data.

Under the law, if unions do not register or do not update their data, the penalties imposed will include revoking protection of their officers and funding of the organizations, among other sanctions.

The Federation of Bank Employee Unions (OTOE), the Center of Athens Labor Unions (EKA) and the Association of ACS/Postal Services Employees said that the ministerial decision contravenes Greek constitutional articles 22 and 23 on the state’s obligation to protect unions’ freedom and independence, as well as other articles, in addition to the EU’s GDPR, which they said forbids the data entry of personal information in archives when not absolutely necessary.