The Greek Federation of Secondary Education School Teachers (OLME) and the Primary Education Teachers’ Federation (DOE) are protesting against austerity measures which are damaging education by holding a 48-hour strike.
In an open letter to EI and sister education unions across Europe, OLME has denounced the harsh economic conditions that have been imposed on the population and against the education sector.
OLME President, Dimitris Peppes, said: “Salary cuts, reductions in pensions, an increase in the retirement age, and a downgrading of all public and social utilities” are just some of the measures that have been imposed by the government, in co-operation with the European Union and International Monetary Fund, under the pretext of the financial crisis.
OLME General Secretary, Nikos Papachristos, highlighted additional factors, such as: “negative changes in teachers’ working conditions, schools’ merging and closing down, preparations for a market- and business-oriented school, all create a negative climate across the country.”
OLME has shown that that according to the budget for 2011, public spending on education will be worse than its previous lowest level, at only 2. 75 per cent of Greece’s total GDP.
OLME has deplored the manner in which the Ministry of Education has decided the changes it will be implementing on the education sector, despite opposition from the professionals who deliver the service. OLME also rejects the government’s attempts to manipulate social dialogue platforms as evidence of a ‘consultation’ exercise. Instead, the EI affiliated education union has asked why the Ministry of Education is refusing to meet and discuss its specific proposals with OLME’s Executive Board in a transparent and accountable way.
OLME has noted that ‘similar policies are being implemented or are under implementation across Europe (especially in countries in the European South) with Greece being the point of departure’. OLME believes that there should be a coordinated reaction of all teacher federations across Europe, with EI taking an important part in confronting this struggle.
EI’s Europe region, the ETUCE Bureau, is planning to discuss the situation in Greece at its meeting in Brussels, Belgium, on 28 February.
EI will continue to call on Greek and European leaders to respect core national and international labour standards, such as collective bargaining and negotiation. They must also stop cutting public sector budgets and allocate the financial means for every child to access a high quality public education in order to accelerate economic recovery and achieve Education for All.