Over 1,000 teachers strike demanding job security
A subset of teachers went on a 24-hour strike on Thursday demanding job security for their posts. The Education Minister, Athena Michaelidou, described the strike as “hasty and untimely”. The protesting group, consisting of 1,200 teachers working in the ministry’s support programmes, expressed concerns over potential unemployment after ten years of work. These teachers are contract workers who have signed collective agreements for their services. Andreas Kounnis, the general secretary of Pasey-Peo, criticized the working conditions and pledged to fight against any potential unemployment of colleagues. The teachers demanded job security for all involved in the 12 support programmes. Union members accused Minister Michaelidou of delaying decisions to avoid reactions. Michaelidou stated she is working on resolving the labour issue and has shared a draft bill to regulate the employment status of these teachers, awaiting feedback from the unions. She also mentioned an upcoming proposal for the pedagogical restructuring of the programmes.