Solidarity with Greek unions' actions to defend jobs and the right to strike

(8 July 2014) EPSU sends solidarity greetings to public sector confederation ADEDY for the 24-hour strike action it has called for Wednesday 9 July. ADEDY is protesting at further cuts in public sector jobs and attacks on pay and pensions. Further layoffs are planned by the end of 2014 even though the government is ahead of its deadline to cut 150,000 jobs by 2015 (see note).

EPSU supports ADEDY’s challenge to the job cuts, which as with several other countries across Europe have been imposed as across-the-board cuts with scant regard for the demands faced by different departments or the impact on the quality of employment or services provided (see note).

ADEDY has organised a demonstration on 9 July where it will also express its opposition to the attacks on the power workers and the plans to privatise the PPC national energy company. EPSU joins with ADEDY in this call for solidarity with the GENOP-DEI energy union which has been taking industrial action to try to stop the privatisation.

EPSU also joins with the Greek trade union movement in condemning the government’s decision to force the strikers back to work using legislation that allows the government to act in the “public interest” and impose “civil conscription” on the power workers, who would have faced arrest if they had continued with their action.

Note: The latest report from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs says that: “The Government is on track to deliver the decrease in general government employment by 150,000, ahead of the deadline set at the end of 2015.” It goes on to explain that: “This target is being pursued by a rigorous application of an 1:5 attrition rule (only 1 employee can be hired for every 5 retirements).” It concedes, however, that: “While the horizontal application of this rule has contributed to reducing the size of the civil service, it is now essential, in order for it to deliver the necessary quality of services, to hire new employees in a timely fashion, and following a rigorous, skill-based selection process and to set up a rigorous system of performance assessment. Moreover, it does not address the general need for improving the skills and motivation of staff.” The Second Economic Adjustment Programme for Greece, Fourth Review – April 2014, European Economy, Occasional Papers 192, April 2014.

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