The activation of the agreement signed on December 12 between the Ministry of Finance and the trade unions PASYDY and SEK for the accelerated advancement of low-wage public servants and the broader public sector, included in the new budget, was signaled by yesterday’s circular from the General Directorate of the Ministry of Finance, George Pantelis.
However, the circular seems to have already provoked new reactions from the Isotita (Equality) union, which, as known, did not hide its dissatisfaction with the agreement for not covering the service of employees who served in the A1-2-5 scale.
Objections on the matter were already expressed by SEK-PEO, which did not sign the December agreement “for principle reasons,” despite its participation in the negotiations.
The circular issued yesterday also caused reactions, as comments from Isotita communicated, among other things, that previous work experience with fixed-term contracts, mainly involving temporary staff, will not be counted for the purpose of completing 18 years for promotion to A7.
According to information from Phileleftheros, an official announcement from Isotita, which has already announced its intention to file a lawsuit on the matter, will be made today.
The regulations
The circular on salary advancement in the combined scales A2, A5, and A7(ii) states, among other things, that as of 01.01.2024, permanent employees and indefinite-term contract employees of the state service in A2, A5, and A7(i) will be advanced salary-wise within the combined scales when their salary in the lower scale corresponds to the initial grade of the next scale.
The circular provides various examples for all cases recorded in it.
For employees employed on 01.01.2024, it is stated that permanent employees in A2, A5, and A7(i) will have the right to be included in A7(ii) upon completing 18 years of service in the same position in A2, A5, and A7(i), taking into account any previous continuous employment as EAK to perform the duties of the position to which they were appointed in A2, A5, and A7(i). EAK in A2, A5, and A7(ii) employed on 01.01.2024 will have the right to be included in A7(i) upon completing 18 years of continuous employment as indefinite-term contract employees to perform the same duties in A2, A5, and A7(ii).
According to the circular, for the purpose of completing 18 years, the same periods of service or employment are taken into account as those taken into account for the purpose of granting the annual salary increase, with the exception that in the calculation of 18 years, the 5 years (2012 to 2016) for which no increases were granted will also be taken into account.
The circular also clarifies that similar arrangements will be adopted for employees in the broader public sector, including local government authorities (CoLA), through their respective budgets (note: which have not yet been approved by the Parliament), that the responsible Ministers for each organization are already authorized for the necessary changes for which Mr. Pantelis calls for the necessary consultation with the Parliamentary Committee on Financial Affairs.
PASYDY announced the Ministry of Finance’s circular on low-wage workers yesterday, noting that it reflects what is provided for in the agreement of December 12, which is implemented by Article 26 of the 2024 Budget Law.
PASYDY, referring to Article 6 of the circular, according to which the Minister of Finance has the power to decide on the lifting of irregularities and the resolution of problems arising from the agreement, notes that it is “in consultations with the Ministry of Finance for clarification and settlement of pending issues, and depending on developments, we will keep you informed.”
