ΟΛΜΕ

You may download the two following letters:

• Letter to A. Samaras
• Letter to K. Arvanitopoulos

The use of special government measures to thwart a proposed teachers? strike in Greece violates the country?s international human rights obligations, Amnesty International said.

The national Union of High School Teachers (OLME) has proposed taking industrial action for six days during university entrance exams, which begin on Friday 17 May and come at the end of the academic year.

The strike action ? reportedly endorsed by the local teacher?s unions ? is in protest at a decision in late April to increase teachers? working hours. Teachers? unions claim the change will result in substantial layoffs and a downgrade in the overall quality of education in the country.

In a bid to quash the strike, the Greek authorities are reportedly invoking special legislation to force teachers to keep working. Teachers could face criminal charges and a minimum of three months? imprisonment if they fail to comply ? if charged, they face immediate suspension from their duties and a prospect of losing their jobs.

?A blanket prohibition on teachers? right to strike, imposed by means of criminal prosecution and the threat of prison sentences, is clearly unnecessary and disproportionate and would violate Greece’s international human rights obligations,? said Jezerca Tigani, Deputy Europe and Central Asia Programme Director at Amnesty International.

?Times of financial hardship don?t absolve governments from their obligations to uphold all human rights, and workers? rights in particular should not become a casualty to the crisis.?

Under Greek law the government has powers to compulsorily mobilize workers during peacetime in the event of a sudden incident that requires the adoption of urgent measures to deal with the defence needs of the country or an urgent social need ? for example, a natural disaster or a public health risk.

When it announced the use of this legal provision against the teachers? strike, the government argued that the measure was necessary ?to prevent a severe disturbance in the social and financial life of the country and to safeguard public order and the health of the prospective university students?.

Under international law, Greece has binding obligations to respect and protect the right to freedom of association, which includes the right to organize ? to form and join trade unions ? and the right to strike. These obligations are set out in international human rights treaties to which it is a state party. These include the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights; the European Convention on Human Rights; and the International Labour Organization?s (ILO) Convention No. 87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize.

These rights can only be limited under very specific circumstances if it is demonstrably necessary and proportionate, and will protect national security, public safety, public health or morals, or the rights and freedoms of others.

On this basis, very narrow restrictions of the right to strike can be permissible. This could apply to the armed forces, the police and other public servants who exercise authority in the name of the state. It could also apply to workers in essential services ? services which, if interrupted, would endanger the life, personal safety or health of the population.

ILO experts have noted that the education sector does not constitute an essential service in that strict sense of the term and, more generally, that any limitations on strikes must be reasonable and must not place a substantial limitation on trade unions.

Since 2010, Greek workers have staged a number of anti-austerity strikes to protest at severe cuts to salaries and government programmes.

Source: http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/greece-action-thwart-teachers-strike-disproportionate-and-unnecessary-2013-05-15

Solidarity with Teachers in Greece
The ETUCE stands in solidarity with the Federation of Secondary School Teachers of Greece (OLME) in their struggle against the government?s civilian mobilisation order which prevents trade unions from exercising a right to strike action.
The government?s decision erodes basic civil liberties and democratic rights. Originally intended to be used in situations related to natural disasters or wars, this mobilisation order will now threaten Greek teachers with possible imprisonment or dismissal if it is disobeyed.
The ETUCE wishes to express its support to all who call for the right to strike to be upheld.
The ETUCE also deplores heavy wage reductions, mass lay-offs of teachers, education budget cuts and other measures which jeopardise the future of Greece. Conditionalities attached to loans from international lenders have had a detrimental effect on the Greek population. Austerity has undermined trust in joint solutions at European level. Time has come to restore public confidence by reversing austerity and boosting public investment, including investment in education.
The ETUCE calls on the government of Greece to listen to the voice of its social partners who call for measures in the interest of all the people of Greece. More than ever before, democracy must be strengthened by improving social dialogue at national level. The ETUCE supports the demands of OLME and of all who struggle to uphold fundamental social rights in Greece.

For the ETUCE,
Martin R?mer
European Director

You may download the related file in pdf format … here

Dear Colleagues,

We received a copy of your letter of protest to the Danish government. Thank you for your support. Your solidarity means a lot to us in this difficult situation.

We regret that the employers? negotiators have not shown interest in real negotiations with the teachers? unions, they seem to believe that they are in a position to dictate the teachers working time conditions.

The way we see it, this is an attempt to damage the Danish model of social dialogue, and we?ll do everything in our power to prevent that.

If you should receive a reply to your letter from the Danish government, we?ll appreciate if you would provide us with a copy.

Best regards,

Anders Bondo Christensen

President

Danish Union of Teachers

To the Danish government

OLME which represents Secondary education teachers in Greece would like to express its full support to the efforts of the Danish educators? organisations to continue the collective bargaining negotiations. OLME clearly disapproves the Danish government?s attack on the free right to negotiation.

Download the related file in pdf format … here

Manifesto of Education

From Unions, Associations, Education Networks
Florence, November 2012 

As unions, associations, Education and Research networks, aware of their role and mission in our society, want to give a contribution from their countries to the economic and cultural growth, in order to overcome the European and international crisis and the regressive and restrictive policies which are going nowhere. Educational areas that we represent give a guarantee of democracy and train informed and motivated citizens, capable of analyzing problems and seeking solutions, as well as accepting individual or collective responsibility.

Effective education needs quality, authenticity and must take into consideration diversity, whatever it is, as well as a democratization of its production and diffusion.

Education belongs to our people and their democratic and free societies and is essential to the construction of a better future.

The states in their politics must take into consideration their citizens’ quality of life and must increase their physical well-being, moral and cultural development as well as the transmission of knowledge.

In order to guarantee quality of education, control and transparency of educational systems open to all and for all, without distinction of race, culture and religion, public investments are necessary.

Freedom of teaching must be guaranteed by the states to ensure the autonomy of educational institutions and the collegial structure of the decisions. Measures must be taken to increase the attractiveness and the career-advancement to ensure sufficient salaries in all countries and at the same time to build up the quality of the teaching as well as to develop the knowledge to the university staff (teachers, educators, education professionals,  researchers, administrative, technical).

Read more in:

• English (pdf format)
• French (pdf format)
• Italian (pdf format)

GEW  –  OLME

Press Release

On Thursday 7 February 2013 a meeting was held between OLME (Greek Federation of secondary education state school teachers) and GEW (Union for Education and Science) in Athens. Mr. Ulrich Th?ne, president of GEW, and Mr. Manfred Brinkmann, GEW coordinator for international relations, had the chance to meet with members of the E. B of OLME and KEMETE.

Within the framework of this meeting a press conference was organized in OLME premises on facing common problems in the field of education by both countries and by Europe as a whole. The discussion focused on the common problems that preoccupy teachers in both countries as well as employees across Europe.

Nikos Papachristos, president of OLME, in his opening speech stressed the importance of GEW?s contribution in presenting an objective picture of the contemporary Greek reality and Greek education problems in Europe. He thanked the GEW president on behalf of OLME for his support and he wished that both trade unions continue their close cooperation.

Mr. Papachristos referred to the serious problems pupils face in schools, such as malnutrition, and the dropout rate during compulsory education. Teachers in Greece face serious problems. Particularly, the newly appointed teachers are often compelled to move out in the place they are appointed under adverse circumstances receiving a salary of 600 Euros.

He reported, also, that in the middle of the school year there are still 1.600 vacant teaching posts and for the first time pupils run the risk of exclusion from the final examinations due to the inability of the state to provide teaching staff and fill the vacant posts.

Finally, he pointed out, that unemployment is a huge problem leading to forced migration of qualified and well trained scientists which would contribute to the economic growth and prosperity of the country.

Read more … here

Link: http://www.gew.de/Eulen_aus_Athen.html

Urgent resolution on Greece

Submitted for adoption by OLME and DOE (Greece) to the ETUCE Conference, the Regional Conference of Education International, meeting in Budapest on 26-28 November 2012

The ETUCE Conference notes that on the 7^th of November 2012 the Greek Government voted in favour of all the new measures (agreed with the troika) worth of 13,5 Billion Euros. All measures, contained in just one article, included new dramatic cuts in salaries, pensions and social goods, new taxes and measures leading to deteriorating teachers? working conditions, abolition of collective agreements, public sector lay offs etc.). Those measures were added to the previous cutbacks (2010-11-12). Teachers have lost up to 45% of their salary within the last three years.

Unemployment is over 30%, and one out of two young people is unemployed. Poverty and misery are spread over larger social groups. Suicides have increased significantly. A severe social crisis is about to hit the country hard.

The ETUCE Conference supports the Greek member organisations in their resistance to the neo-liberal policies implemented by the government inGreeceand calls for coordinated action by member organisations acrossEuropeagainst similar policies where they are implemented inEurope.

The ETUCE Conference also condemns the arrest of trade unionists inGreece, who were protesting against the austerity measures undertaken by the troika inGreece.

You may download the related file in pdf format … here