A total of 114 workers lost their lives in workplace accidents in Greece between January and June 2025 — more than the 104 deaths recorded in all of 2022 — marking a 20-year high, according to the Federation of Associations at Technical Enterprises in Greece (OSETEE).
The surge in fatalities is linked to sweeping changes in labour conditions pushed by the government, as well as the limited reach of Collective Labour Agreements (CLAs), which currently cover only 30% of private-sector employees, far below the EU average of 83%, says OSETEE president Andreas Stoimenidis.
“This push for 13-hour workdays, six-day workweeks, and Sunday shifts in high-risk sectors has no place in Europe and should be dismissed out of hand,” said Mr. Stoimenidis. “It is no coincidence that workplace fatalities peaked in Greece after the ratification of ILO Convention 187 through the Hatzidakis law in 2021,” he added.
Collective Labour Agreements offer not just legal protection but also regulate working conditions.
To highlight the importance of collective labor agreements, Mr. Stoimenidis pointed out that at the end of June, three workers were killed within three days due to extreme weather conditions. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Labor refuses to issue a Ministerial Decision (which would carry mandatory force) on protection against heat stress, even though the draft is ready and has already been agreed upon.
Instead, “they issue a one-day circular, which employers say is non-binding, using temperature as the sole indicator and applying only to certain areas of the country,” he said.
Retirees re-entering the labour force — especially in construction — are now among the most frequently affected by fatal accidents, he added.
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