Promotion Of Employment

The International Environment and the Role Of O.A.E.D. in Society
Fields of Activities
Institutional Framework of Operations and Legal Status
Measures of Modernizing and Restructuring OAED and Future Perspectives
Communication

Greek pages

Tracking down the appropriate working position, with a reasonable salary and proper perspectives for each and every unemployed person always continues to be one of the most important goals of the Organisation. This task is being carried out by the Directorate of Employment.

This was regulated by the R.D.4085/18.6.71 "Organisation, structure and operation of the Services of O.A.E.D."( FEK 123/A', 21-6-71), so as the Directorate of Employment contributes to the creation, or the protection of job positions. Its goals are the information of the unemployed about the opportunities in training and employment that are offered in the Labour Market and the implementation of active measures for the creation of employment positions. The acquisition of those goals is taking action with the following actions:

The enrollment of the unemployed Labour force of the country
Providing information for:

the available Labour force,
the vacancies in Greece,
the Employment and Training Programmes,
European standards for vacancies and living conditions through EURES Network.

Matching the demand and the supply of Labour,
The implementation of subsidised employment programmes, such as:

the subsidy programme for acquisition of vocational experience and for employment of young people who are unemployed, and long-term unemployed in enterprises. The subsidy programme of enterprises for the creation of new working positions, for those who have been dismissed in groups and possibly for those who have been placed in the Local Pacts for Employment in some Municipalities. In addition to this, there is also the specialised programme of subsidy for New Posts of Work and New Free-Lance Professionals coming from groups of dismissed by big enterprises.
The Subsidy Programme for Industrial-Handicraft and other enterprises situated in Borderlands (L. 1262/82)
The programme for the allowance of resettlement, addressed to Greeks returning to Greece as well as to repatriated people of Greek origin
The motivation programme for the facilitation of the geographical mobility of the manpower
The subsidy programme for private enterprises for the employment of T.E.I.- S.E.L.E.T.E. students. (Tertiary Education)
The subsidy programme of Hotel Enterprises for the maintenance of the working posts.
Subsidy of enterprises for 1500 work placements for unemployed who are close to reach retirement age
The legalization of working and living for aliens (foreigners) who come from countries which don't belong in the E.U. which is an attempt to rationalise the Labour Market by giving the aliens with temporary Employment Card. This Card provides to those aliens who fulfill the presuppositions, the same rights in Labour and the same obligations with the Greeks as far as terms and conditions of employment, social security benefits and obligations are concerned, in order to enter into the normal economical activity.

These measures are implemented through 7 Regional Directorates, the 114 Local Directorates as well as the Employment Services. Their task is to make work placements of the unemployed and to match the supply and demand of labour in the best possible way throughout the country. Wherever the Organisation doesn't have Services, it fulfills its obligations through the Correspondent offices who work in small Municipalities and Communities. A significant improvement on the level of the services delivered is expected by the operation of Employment Services -Employment Promotion Centres according to the presidential Decree which is going to be published.

After the re-examination of the role of Employment Services and after the recent developments in the market have been under consideration, as well as the new methods and possibilities which are given by the new technologies, a necessary intervention was made by O.A.E.D. This keeps pace with the decisions of -the Board of Ministers of Labour and Social Affairs of the Member-States of the E.U. for the restructuring of the Employment Services. In this way, they will be able to respond to the new challenges which concern the globalization of the economy, to the increase of competition, to the new technologies, to the restructuring of the employment relations and to the increase of the unemployment rate. The organisation aims at upgrading of the Employment Services to Employment Promotion Centres, with the financial contribution of the European Social Fund. In this way, it emphasises on the offer to the unemployed, by putting him on focus. In this way, the Network of Employment Services also responds to the operation of the Labour Market, taking under consideration with a new way of approach, the specific needs of the Manpower. Specifically: Counsellors of Vocational Training, Psychologists and personnel of O.A.E.D. - who are specialised on use of a P/C system with Touch Screen System and other means of modern technology are offered to unemployed. This new approach will be based on three axes:

Each unemployed will have the ability to contact with a specific vocational Counsellor.
The meeting of needs is based on the direct contact with the person interested.
Each unemployed who is registered to the Live Unemployment Register of the Organisation, has the ability to choose between the possibilities which are offered to him by the new «multiuse voucher» of O.A.E.D. after having been advised by the special Counsellor. This occurs for:

Vocational Training,
Acquisition of Vocational experience,
Participation in employment programmes in enterprises, which are subsidized,
Participation in subsidy programmes of New Free-Lance Professionals (Entrepreneurs),
Counselling services by the Vocational Counsellors of OAED of,
receipt of unemployment benefit

The Employment Services will be in continuous contact with the Career offices in the Universities as well as in the Chambers. This intervention aims at the struggle against frictional Unemployment which occurs during the transition of the manpower from the one job to another, the transition from the education or the army to the Labour Market etc. The programme also was initially implemented on Kalithea and later in Peristeri, in Thessaloniki and also in N. Ionia where Employment Promotion Centres are going to operate as well. OAED, will gradually create 42 Employment Promotion Centres allover Greece in order to operate in year 1999. Employment Promotion Centres will also operate by the year 2000 in Athens, situated at: Ag. Paraskevi, Marousi, Patision, in Pireaus, in Thessaloniki: March 25th, Pili Axiou, at the cities of Igoumenitsa and Drama and on the island of Syros. The supreme goal is the transformation and upgrading of the total number of the Employment Services to Employment Promotion Centres.

In the framework of its continuous pursuit for the creation of employment opportunities, OAED provides along with other relevant bodies, O.A.E.D. implements the following special programmes that have been elaborated. These programmes are subject to any alterations and improvements which are necessary (on annual basis):

Programme of subsidy of new enterprises for the employment of young and long term unemployed in order to obtain professional experience,
Programme of subsidy for New Free-Lance Professionals (young Entreprenenurs) when they establish their own new enterprise,
Subsidy Programme of Industrial, cattle breeding enterprises of industrial type, hotel and navigation firms which are established in certain Prefectures,
Subsidy Programme of Industries and Handicrafts in borderlands for employment of University graduates,
Programme for providing allowance of resettlement to repatriating persons of Greek origin,
Programme for offering motivation for the facilitation of the geographical mobility of the labour workers,
Subsidy Programme of private enterprises (Bussiness Firms) for employing T.E.I.-S.E.L.E.T.E. students (Tertiary Education),
Subsidy Programme of hotel enterprises for the maintenance of work placements,
Subsidy of enterprises for 1500 work placements for unemployed who are close to retirement age,
Special Programme of "Integrated Interventions" which concern Vocational Training, Employment, self-employment, Resettlement of unemployed dismissed from big enterprises and in special areas or branches.

Subsidy Programme For Enterprises For Obtaining Professional Experience And The Employment Of Unemployed

The programme is addressed at enterprises apart from those of Public sector and some other exemptions -which hire more unemployed (men and women) than the already employed in their enterprises (New Work Position).

The programme responds to the enterprises which hire:

young unemployed (men and women) 20-27 years old who are subsidized or registered in the unemployment live register of O.A.E.D., for three (3) months (at least) and
long-term unemployed (men and women) 28-64 years old who are subsidized or registered in the unemployment live register of O.A.E.D., for six (6) months (at least)

The programme includes two stages:

Stage of practical training for the newcomers in the labour market, as well as for those who receive training in a new specialisation. This stage lasts for two (2) months. The enterprise is subsidized for employing unemployed people.

Stage of employment This stage lasts 16-20 months and more specifically:

16 months for men
18 months for women

In the «Unemployment clusters» which include the following areas: Lavrio, the island of Syros, the Prefecture of Evia, Achaia, Biotia, Magnisia, Larisa, Grevena, Chalkidiki, kilkis, Kozani, Kastoria, Florina, Drama, Xanthi, Rodopi and Evros the time period of subsidy is defined in:

18 months for men
20 months for women

According to the programme, for the subsidized unemployed, the duration of subsidy becomes longer for such a time period, as it is the 1/2 of the rest subsidy time-period, that the subsidized unemployed would take. The subsidy amount is defined for each day of full time employment. In case that the subsidized employee will be employed for 4 hours a day or more, (part-time employment) the enterprise will be subsidized with the half of the defined amount.

The enterprise is committed to employ new or old personnel, for twelve (12) months at least. After the 12 months of the obligatory employment period and until the completion of the rest subsidy time period (4-10 months), the enterprise will be subsidized every three of four months as long as no subsidized employed has not been dissmissed or resigned.

«Clusters» of high unemployment are considered to be the areas which are characterized by a very high percentage of unemployment that has followed such an alteration in the production system that does not allow the creation of employment of Manpower by the labour market. For the protection of the work placements, the enterprises that follow the programme should not have fired(dismissal or resignation)or decreased the number of the personnel, during the six months before the month of submission of the application. Also:

The subject of activity of the enterprise must not fall in the exemptions,
The ones who are hired must be subsidized unemployed, or registered in the unemployment records of the Local Employment Offices of O.A.E.D., for three(3) months (the young),and for six (6) months (the Long Term unemployed)
The ones that are hired, must posess Greek citizenship or the citizenship of a Member-State of E.U. or to be persons of Greek origin who are legally occupied in Greece or fall in the arrangements of 11 article of the Regulation / E.C. 1612/68.

The subsidy of enterprises is not possible in the following cases:

hiring salaried workers, for which have been already subsidized at the previous years,
More than 75 salaried workers, except for the enterprises which employ personnel for the first time,
hiring salaried workers, who in the last 12 months and one month before having applied for the entering into the programme, had been employed the same enterprise,
Salaried people, who are spouses or are connected by a first grade of relationship or relationship by marriage with an employer, who owns a private enterprise or Limited Group, Limited Partnership, General Partnership Limited Liability Company.

An enterprise or an employer in order to enter in these programmes has to submit the relevant documentation to the closest O.A.E.D. Service, if there is a vacancy. The terms, the presuppositions and the subsidy amounts of the programme, are defined on annual basis with a decision of Minister of Labour and Social Affairs.

Subsidy Programme of New Free Lance Professionals

With this programme, OAED supports the efforts for employment of the unemployed who decide to solve their unemployment problem, by creating their own small enterprises. It is addressed to:

10.000 young unemployed, aged 20-27 years old, who have been unemployed for 3 months least, or are subsidized unemployed.
To 2.000 long-term unemployed (men-women), aged 28-64 years old who have been unemployed for six months at least or are subsidized unemployed.

New private enterprises of the above are subsidized as well as General Partnership, Limited Liability comp and Limited Partnership, enterprises up to 3 persons, as well as Co-operatives and Civil Companies with no speculative purposes - which the above mentioned create - up to 20 persons. The benefit amount is increased depending on the sex(women) and if the region is characterised as a «Cluster of high Unemployment» or not and the time period of Unemployment (Long-Term Unemployed).

The duration of the subsidy depends on the funded amount which is (12) twelve, (16) sixteen, (18) eighteen, (20)twenty and (22)twenty-two months. The subsidy is done with advanced payment and payment of the remaining amount with equal instalments every five, six or eight months depending on the categorization. The ones who are interested, must posess Greek citizenship or citizenship of a Member-State of E.U. or to be persons of Greek origin who are legally employed in the country, and the enterprise must have its Head office in Greece in its own place which is appropriately formed. The net family income of the married or unmarried must be less than in corresponding limit. The same professionals or the employed people who work for them must have the relevant specialization if the enterprise belongs to Manufacturing Sector or raiding Services Sector. The kind of enterprising activity must not come under the exceptions of the programme like doctors, lawyers, mechanics, professors, seasonal enterprises, schools, lucky games, Limited companies, Primary Sector etc.

The presuppositions and the terms of participation as well as the amount are defined on annual basis with a Ministry Decision.

Financial Support of Industrial-Manufacturing, Cattle - Breeding Enterprises of Industrial Type, Mining - Hotel and Maritime Firms Founded in Certain Region and the 9 Prefectures at C Area (LAW1232/82)

This programme is addressed to industrial, handicraft, mining, cattle-breeding enterprises of industrial type as well as hotel and maritime firms and involves subsidization by 1%, 4% and 12% on the total amount of salary of their staff. The installation of the above firms at the prefectures of EVROS, RODOPI, XANTHI, DRAMA,KAVALA, SERRES, KILKIS, PELLAS, FLORINAS, KASTORIAS, IOANNINA, THESPROTIA, LESVOS, CHIOS, SAMOS, DODEKANISA and the province of Kalamata and Messini and the country of Messini. The subsidy is given at the first quarterly after the end of each semester. The allowance is provided to the enterprises which fulfil the standards, apart from the number of employees which are occupied and their day's wages.

Subsidies to Manufacturing and Handicraft Enterprises for the Employment of Graduates

This programme is addressed to manufacturing and handicraft enterprises, established in the prefectures of EVROS, RODOPI, XANTHI, CHIOS, SAMOS and DODEKANISA and in areas of the Prefectures of DRAMA,SERRES, KILKIS, PELLA ,FLORINA, KASTORIA,THESPROTIA and IOANNINA. The subsidy is offered to the enterprises which employ at least 10 people for each Higher or University Education Graduate and involves a 10% percentage of the payment of each specialized executive, Higher or University graduate and until the defined as the supreme limit of the month salary.

Allowance of Resettlement to Repatriated Greeks

This programme is addressed at Greek subjects who return to Greece for permanent residence and employment, as well as to repatriated people of Greek origin as soon as they obtain the Greek citizenship and the completion of at least 2 years of living and working abroad. For the participation of the ones interested , a limited period of 3 months from the moment of their repatriation is given, when it involves Greek Origins and till 5 months for repatriated people, from the day of submitting the relevant application, for obtaining the Greek citizenship.

The amount of the allowance varies and depends on the family condition of the beneficiaries. A rent allowance is also been granted (when a house is rented) depended on the family needs and for a period of 2 years. From the programme are excluded:

Pensioners,
Handicapped people(67% or more),
People working for the public sector.

Offer of Motives for Facilitating the Geographic Mobility of Labour Force

This programme involves the daily payment for each person (not more than 60 days per year) to employers who hire unemployed who move from their residence for allimited duration employment with aim to select agricultural products. The employer must provide the transportation expenses to the shifting personnel. The ones who are involved at the programme should be between the age of 16-65 years old. For employing people under 18 the consent of the parents is demanded. The ones who are temporarily employed at the public sector are not allowed to participate in the programme.

Subsidies to Enterprises for the Training of Students of TEI and SELETE (Technical Vocational Institutions)

This programme is addressed at Private Enterprises which offer jobs to students of TEI and SELETE, for their practical six-month training, necessary for getting their diploma. These enterprises are subsidized by O.A.E.D. by 50%(on the way of an unskilled worker) on the indemnification that the Employers give to the ones who practice. The employer must also compensate the student by 80% on the wage of an unskilled worker according to the special agreement between the enterprises and T.E.I. which has been made. Students of TEI receive social security services against professional risk and the payment of the subsidy must be done within 6 months, from the end of their practical training.

Allocation of Funds to Hotel Business for the Maintenance of Work Position

According to the plan of this programme for the maintenance of work position, seasonal hotel enterprises which are under Hellenic Tourism Organisation license, are allowanced and employ Hotel employees temporarily occupied through the winter time from November till February through-out the State outside the district of Athens and Salonica. The duration of allowance is related to working days of the hotel employees and the operation of the hotel, which can't go beyond 4 months (from November till February). The amount of the allowance which is given to each employee is readjustable. The ones who are going to be employed should be entitled to unemployment benefit, during the beginning of the extended period of the enterprises operation.

Subsidy of Enterprises for 1500 Working Places for Unemployed Who are About to be Retired

The programme is addressed at all Private Enterprises and enterprises of the public sector which can employ staff with a salaried workers Status and refers to the old-age unemployed, which are close to retirement age.

The pressupositions for those who are placed in this programme are:

Τhey should be registered in the Unemployment Live Register of O.A.E.D.
People who possess the Greek nationality or the nationality of any Member state of the E.U. or people of Greek origin which are permanently occupied at our country. According to the former only old-age unemployed which are close to retirement have the right to participate in this programme and don't have the least presuppositions because they don't have the required number of working days receiving social security, (up to 600 working days) and up to two (2) years for the completion of the general age limitation, for their retirement by the familiar Social Security Service.

It's duration is:

From 1 month (25 day's wages), up to 24 months (600 day's wages)

There is subsidy which is given for the following forms of employment

Full employment of unemployed with 25 working days for each month they work and
Part time employment of unemployed from 4 to 7 hours daily and for 25 days per month.

The increase of the amount of subsidy, varies, depending on the time duration of the employment.

a) From the 1st to the 12th month of full time employment,

b) From the 13th to the 24th month of full time employment
a) From the 1st to the 12th month of part- time employment the subsidy varies, depending on the hours of employment (4 to 7 hours per day)

b) From the 13th to the 24th month of part- time employment the subsidy varies, depending on the hours of employment (4 to 7 hours per day)

For the protection of the working placements, the enterprises have to fulfill the following presupositions in order to participate in the programme. Τhey must not have fired (without replacement) personnel for the last three months since they have submited their application. Even the unemployed that they will hire have to be registered in the special Unemployment Live Register of O.A.E.D. for old aged unemployed.

Special Intergrated Programmes of Interventions Which Concern Training-Employment-Self Employment and Resettlement for Unemployed by Big Enterprises

In these programmes, which are implemented after publishing relevant decisions of Ministry of Labour, there must be a special, listing of the unemployed of each big, enterprise or branch of a special group (Structure), which is consisted by relative bodies (Ο.A.E.D. Employers, Employees, Municipalities etc.) and next the placing of the unemployed in the appropriate programme takes place.

Participation of O.A.E.D. in the EURES Network

The EURES NETWORK was created in order to facilitate the implementation of the principle of the free circulation of goods ,services, human resources and capital in the E.U., at its course for a long-term and balanced period of development.

The Organisation co-operates with other public bodies of employment of the Member-States of the E.U. and participates in the EURES network, which connects and activates all the Public Services for Employment of the Member States of the European Union and the European Free Trade (Area)as well as with all the European Partners who deal with employment issues, on a national and international level.

In the framework of new concept for the operation regarding the Employment services the EURES network provides:

access to a Data Bank, regarding the offer and demand of Labour in the E.U. countries,
access to a Data Bank, regarding the working and living conditions and vocational qualification equivalence in other countries of the E.U.,
possibility of finding employment in another State Member of the E.U.,
Specially trained personnel, (Eurocounsellors) who constitute the «Task Force» of the Network and are situated in the main cities of Greece, as well as in other countries of the E.U. in a relevant way,
an ''On line" system for the quickest and easiest communication among the Eurocounsellors and the EURES Network.

Offices for the Information of Unemployed and Offices for the Information of «Business Firms»

Policy measures enter into a new dimension thanks to the creation of those offices of the effort of O.A.E.D. to penetrate deep into society and confront the problem of unemployment, finds its way out.

The expenditure for the establishment and Operation of the Offices for information of Unemployed and Offices for Information of Enterprises is being funded by the Structural Funds of E.U. and O.A.E.D.

Municipalities, Chambers of Industry and Handicraft Trade Union and syndicate Bodies have the opportunity to sign programming agreements (contracts) with O.A.E.D. for the operation of the Offices for the infomation of unemployed. The only purpose of those Offices is the developement of activities and services which are going to be provided without charge to the unemployed, with a goal for their support and their exhortation in order to find a job.

The same opportunity, as far as the establishment of the Office for the Information of Enterprises is offered to the bodies mentioned above, as well as the Unions Trade Bodies.

The purpose of these Offices is the delivery of Services and Information for the training programmes and employment of O.A.E.D. or other Bodies of Public or Private Sector.

The presuppositions and the terms that the Offices for the Information of Unemployed and Enterprises must fullfill, are:

Their co-operation with the competent Services, the covering with specialized personnel in the framework materialization, at the Programmes of Vocational Training of the Employers in Private Enterprises which are under the administration of O.A.E.D. as well as for the way the Organisation participates in the operational expenses, which are defined by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs are published under the authorisation of the Administration Board of O.A.E.D.

In the future will be established and operate 64 more Offices which will provide the whole country with services.

The personnel which is going to be the staff in these offices will participate in vocational training programmes.

In particular, the basic functions of the Information Offices of Unemployed are:

Free delivery of special information (printed, electronic or oral) for the unemployees about their information for:

The exploitation of the employment and training opportunities which exist in the Public and Private Sector.
The Labour Market condition, as far as the specialists demand is concerned, the direction of development and the creation of new productive units.
Vocational Orientation programmes, Vocational Training, Employment and Selfemployment.
The presuppositions and the return for their participation in mobility programmes of the manpower.
A convenient procedure in tracking a job though O.A.E.D.
The presuppositions and terms of beneficial Policy.
An exhortation in order to be informed about the possibilities and the opportunities of employment
The guidance for the appropriate procedures in order to be accessed in a appropriate body.

The diffusion of information to the receivers and users:

The reproduction of the received material and distribution of the collected and processed one to all the local bodies as well as to the local press.
Organisation of information meetings in a local level.

The connection among the Information Offices and between O.A.E.D.
The follow-up and processing of statistical data, concerning visitors.
The budjet reduction and statement of what has been done and expenses in annual basis.
The expendition of an managing project.

In the same way, the basic operations of the Information Office for enterprises are:

The provision of specialized information (printed, electronical or oral) to the enterprises for their updating for:

The situation of the Labour Market and the development possibilities and direction.
The development rules.
The possibilities of exploitation of the vocational training and employment programmes, of O.A.E.D. or of other bodies of private or public sector.
The community programmes of improvement of the competitiveness of SME.
The communal actions of development of the human power.
Programmes of restructuring enterprises.

The diffusion of informing to their receivers and users· with the reproduction of the received material and distribution of the collected and processed printed matter to all the local bodies.

The organization of one day local meetings of information
Organizing local informative procedures

The connection among the information offices and between them and O.A.E.D.
The follow-up and processing of statistical data of visitors.
The nearly drawing up budget and annual report or what has been done and expenditures.
The expendition of a managing project.