Venizelos responded to the demand for the modernization of urban Greece by introducing political and social reforms.
Among the first of his objectives was to carry out labour legislation, which until now had been absent from Greece. This was due to the delay of industrial
development in Greece. .
As part of the reforms, mixed unions of workers and employees were forbidden, the workers'
unions of Athens and Piraeus were recognized, a new process
has been established for the settlement of conflicts between
workers and employees and the rights of workers' unions to sign collective labour contracts
was recognized. In the same period the eight-hour working day
was established, the compulsory Sunday holiday, a scheme was introduced
for the compulsory general insurance of workers and provisions made
for child labour and the participation of women in the workforce (these two sectors had been the first areas of concern for protectionist legislation). At the same time, an interest
was expressed in social welfare and health. Many of these regulations, however,
remained ineffective for a long time.
|
|