Statutory schemes of social security (Directive 79/7)

• Author: Panagiota Petroglou
• Pages: 103-105

103

7 Statutory schemes of social security (Directive 79/7)

7.1 General (legal) context

7.1.1 Surveys and reports on the practical difficulties linked to statutory schemes of social

security (Directive 79/7)

To the authorΣs knowled ge there have been no su rveys and reports published in Greece

over the last fi ve years that provide insights into the difficulties that workers face in

practice in relation to social security schemes.

7.1.2 Other relevant issues

There are no other relevant issues.

7.1.3 Overview of national acts

See under 1.2 above.

7.1.4 Political and societal debate and pending legislative proposals

There has been no political and/or societal debate and there are n o pendin g l egislative

proposals on this topic.

7.2 Implementation of the principle of equal treatm ent for men and women in

matters of social security

The principle of equal treatment for men and women in matters of social security is

implemented in national legislation in Article Single of Presidential Decree 1362/1981

implementing Directive 79/7/EEC. This is the only measure aimed at implementing

Directive 79/7/EEC. The Decree replaced Article 33(1) of Act 1846/1951 (OJ A

179/21.6.1951) on the Organisation of Social Security (IKA), which operated the main

scheme for subordinate workers under a private-law contract. It abolish ed the distinction

between husban ds and wives and fathe rs and mothers regarding pen sions and medic al

care, which was to the detriment of women.

7.3 Personal scope

The scope of Decree 1362/1981 is limited to the IKA scheme (7.2 above), which is

statutory, as it covers workers employed by different employers. There are other schemes

which must also be considered to be statut ory, e.g. the scheme operated by the

Organisation for Ag ricultural Social Se curity (OGA),416 which covers farm ers who are not

salaried workers; the scheme operated by the εerchant SeamenΣs Fund ( NAT),417 which

covers workers in marit ime employment; and the scheme operated by the Agency of

Manpower Employment (OAED),418 which provides workers under a private -law contract

with protection against unemployment, including unemployment allowances, assistance to

job seekers and other allowances, such as maternity allowance . Since 1 January 2017 all

the main existing social security schemes (IKA-ETAM, ETAP-MME, ETAA, OGA, NAT,

TAYTEKO, ETAT), together with State pensions, have been merged into one single scheme

416 Act 4169/1961, OJ A 81/1961; Act 2458/1997, OJ A 15/14.2.1997.

417 Presidential Decree 913/1978, OJ A 220/14.12.1978; Act 1085/1980, OJ A 255/6.11.1980.

418 Act 2961/1954, OJ A 197/1954; Act 1545/1985, OJ A 91/20.5.1985.