A union representing kindergartens and elementary educators in Greece has called a strike for Wednesday (Oct. 23) in demand of higher salaries for its members and better working conditions.
According to a report by To Vima, the union claims teachers’ salaries have decreased by almost 60%, in terms of real purchasing power. With inflation continuing to rise, the starting salary for a newly hired teacher remains at 776 euros.
The union is demanding salary increases, restoration of the 13th and 14th salaries (half a monthly salary tacked on before Easter as a bonus, another half salary in the summer and a full extra salary in December), and a return to the salary scales of 2016-2017. These bonuses were cut for all wage-earners in the civil service and wider public sector during the very first institutional bailout for the country in 2010.
Additionally, the union wants a new collective labor agreement to secure critical rights, in line with provisions outlined in the EU‘s minimum wage directive, as it announced.
The report from To Vima quotes a statement by the union as stressing, “We demand equal rights for permanent and substitute teachers. A nine-month parental leave for substitute teachers must be immediately established […] It is unacceptable for the rest of the school year to proceed with hundreds of class mergers and thousands of teacher vacancies remaining unfilled.”
Although the educators’ unions remain a potent force, participation in such industrial actions by educators is usually very low.
