Employees across all Support Programmes of the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth will take part in a 24-hour nationwide strike on Friday, according to a joint statement by the PASEY-PEO and OEKDY-SEK trade unions.
The unions say the strike is being driven by the government's failure to implement previous commitments and the lack of concrete solutions to a series of outstanding labour disputes.
Unions threaten further escalation
The unions are seeking written decisions and tangible progress on their demands. They warned that if no meaningful response is received, they will proceed with a second nationwide strike and protest outside the Presidential Palace on 2 November, adding that an indefinite strike has not been ruled out.
They noted that on 2 October they agreed to suspend a strike planned for 5 October for a period of 15 days at the request of Education Minister Athena Michaelidou, describing the move as a gesture of goodwill.
According to the unions, that period has now expired without progress on any of their key demands.
Workers 'without income or employment'
The unions claim that hundreds of workers have remained without income since May 2026, while hundreds of others are unemployed because positions previously held within the programmes have been assigned to appointed teachers through overtime arrangements.
They said discussions held on 21 October revisited the same issues but failed to produce any concrete decisions.
Key demands
The unions have outlined three primary demands:
- A support allowance, with retroactive effect from summer 2026, for employees left without wages and without alternative paid employment during the June-August period.
- Filling fixed-term employment posts for the 2026-2027 school year to cover actual staffing needs rather than relying on overtime by permanent teachers. The unions describe the current practice as unlawful and argue that experienced programme staff remain out of work.
- Removal of restrictions on secondary employment, allowing workers to hold additional jobs provided they remain within the legal weekly limit of 48 working hours.
'Workers are not asking for privileges'
The unions said the coming days represent the final opportunity to avoid further escalation and urged the government to provide written decisions and practical solutions.
If no agreement is reached, they said they will proceed with the planned strike and demonstration outside the Presidential Palace on 2 November.
"Workers are not asking for privileges. They are demanding employment, a dignified income and respect for their labour rights," the unions said, adding that goodwill cannot be one-sided and that dialogue cannot continue to serve as a pretext for delays.
Source: CNA
