Greek school teachers, enraged over a so-called mobility scheme that will thousands of them transferred while being paid lower wages and with many likely to be fired, are planning to conduct an indefinite strike that could begin by refusing to show up to work on the first day of classes on Sept. 11.
The primary school and secondary school teachers are considering lasting strikes, while also seeking for a common front with the workers at OTA (Organizations of Local Administration).
OLME, the Greek Federation of secondary education state school teachers wants the strikes as a protest against the government’s plan to pare the teacher workforce and will pursue a common front with private school teachers as well as with the workers at health sector and at OTAs. The president of OIELE (Federation of Educators of Private Schools) Michalis Kouroutos already stated that the coordination with OLME will be sought.
“The government will close the schools in September. With so many cuts in workplaces for the teachers at secondary schools and a new low for the secondary school which will be voted shortly after the opening of the new school year, it is impossible that the schools will function,” OLME President Themis Kotsifakis said.
OLME is upset at what it calls the “dismantling of the public school,” as they talk about 16,000 to 17,000 fewer teachers this year at the high school level. It is also opposed to the new draft law for the secondary school that the government is expected to submit to the Parliament in the beginning of next week.
“Not only the secondary school turns into a exam center, with Panhellenic sort of exams from the first grade, but also the students are pushed to the vocational education and training where sectors with demand (such as health sector professions) are taught by the private sector,” Kotsifakis stressed.
The Board of OLME will meet next week to form an introduction paper towards the assemblies of local ELME which are to meet on Sept. 1. The final decision will be taken from the assembly of the presidents in accordance with the decision of the ELMEs.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
