Loverdos-Mitsotakis Dispute Over Public Sector Layoffs

The Greek government has bought a few more days time in order to settle the dispute concerning the suspensions and layoffs of university administrative employees. PASOK expressed doubts about the number of public sector employees that the coalition government should sack in order to meet troika’s targets. After an amendment that was passed through the House of Parliament, the government postponed until next Friday, June 20, instead of this Sunday, the decision to dismiss or not the 1,134 university administrative employees who were part of the government’s mobility scheme. Meanwhile, the newly appointed Education Minister, Andreas Loverdos, supported by Evangelos Venizelos said that the government should rehire 880 university administrative employees, while the Greek Minister of Administrative Reform, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, argued that no more than 500 employees can return to their positions. The dispute between the two ministers has now reached its peak, with people close to Loverdos stating that Mitsotakis “is not aware of the political balances” because he is not actually a politician. On the other hand, people close to Mitsotakis are attacking the Greek Education Minister, mentioning that when he was the Minister of Health during Papandreou’s government, he had stated that “the one million public sector employees who keep causing trouble for 10 million people, thinking that their jobs are safe for life,  is what brought our country to this position.” The Ministry of Administrative Reform has hinted that the number of employees who will be rehired may increase from 500 to 600 but Loverdos’ suggestion to rehire 880 employees cannot be met under any circumstances, because then the government would have to lay off other public sector employees in order to meet troika’s targets. The dispute between the two ministers is part of PASOK’s change in attitude towards the austerity measures. According to Greek news, PASOK’s leader, Evangelos Venizelos has doubt about the layoffs of 7,000 public sector employees, even though last year the government agreed to sack 15,000 public sector employees by the end of 2014.  

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