A new memorandum addressed to the Minister of Education, Sports, and Youth, Athina Michailidou, and the Director of the Ministry, was submitted today by the Provisional Committee of Support Program Employees (Training Programs – KIE – DRASE – EOS – OAP – MIIEK – SMEK – Prisons – Institutions and Related), in which they demand payment of their summer wages and call for fair treatment of employees, job security, and program improvements.
As they state in their petition, they have remained unpaid from June until now; their summer wages have not been paid, and they are demanding the immediate payment of all amounts due without further delays or “legal loopholes.”
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They also point out the unfair reclassification of their employment status during the 2013–2023 period and the fact that the same practice continues today. “This situation cannot continue. We demand fair and equal treatment,” they add.
They also note that the training programs—Epitimorfotika, KIE, DRASE, EOS, OAP, MIIEK, and SMEK, as well as initiatives in prisons and institutions, constitute a critical component of the educational and social system, providing afternoon, evening, and specialized education to students, adults, inmates, and vulnerable groups; they offer equal opportunities for learning and reintegration, particularly in regions and among populations in need of support; they contribute to lifelong learning, social cohesion, and the prevention of social exclusion; generate revenue for the Ministry of Education through tuition, membership fees, and European funding; employ experienced teaching staff with in-depth knowledge of the needs of students, inmates, and local communities, produce results, and provide meaningful service.
“We are at the Ministry’s disposal as permanent and temporary staff for transfers within YPAN or to other institutions, provided that our rights are safeguarded,” they note.
They also point out that employees with many years of experience are the cornerstone of the programs.
In their memorandum, they call for their experience to be utilized, for them to be given opportunities for professional development and training, and for an end to the disparagement and constant harassment through legislative maneuvers.
“Instead of exhausting us, you can help us grow, pay us, and restructure the programs to increase revenue, for the benefit of both the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs and the employees themselves,” they add.
In their memorandum, they also demand that all permanent and fixed-term positions be safeguarded.
“No to the allocation of positions to serve the interests of any political faction or other union. No to impoverishment. We demand an equitable distribution of positions and job stability without further excuses. We demand an immediate meeting with the Minister and the Ministry’s leadership to discuss the following specific and binding measures: “The payment of outstanding wages, the upgrading of programs, the safeguarding of jobs, and the improvement of communication between the Ministry and employees,” they add.
They also state that they are ready for dialogue and for solutions.
“We are not willing to continue living in poverty,” they note.
Furthermore, Andreas Markidis, who, as he himself states, represents several of his colleagues who are in the same situation, sent a letter to the Independent Authority Against Corruption, in which he requests that the Independent Anti-Corruption Authority immediately investigate and intervene regarding the violation and non-enforcement of the 2020 court ruling, their exclusion from any income despite their permanent status, the pressure to resign after 15 years of service, and the lack of transparency and accountability among all the agencies involved.
Source: KYPE
