The concern of the trade unions was confirmed regarding the outcome of yesterday's meeting held in the presence of the Minister of Health, Michalis Hatzipantela, regarding the issue of concluding a collective agreement, for the staff hired under contracts in 2019, by the State Health Services Organization (OKYpY).
The meeting between the two sides was decided in the wake of the two-hour work stoppage, with the six unions of OKYPYSEK – PEO, DEOK, PASYDY, PASYKI and PASYNO – expressing pessimism about a possible agreement from the start.
Indeed, during the meeting, a gap was found in the positions expressed by the two sides regarding the basic principles governing the conclusion of a collective agreement in the public and semi-public sector. These mainly concern the increments of the employees according to their scales and the performance of ATA, with hopes now shifting to next Tuesday, January 31, when a new broad meeting was set.
However, despite the new appointments made by the unions, once again they believe that if the Organization does not back down there will be no agreement. As I said while speaking to the REPORTER, the President of the PASYDY Nursing Branch, Prodromos Argyridis, the proposal that was given to them was not what was expected and is not the subject of consultation.
“The proposal does not include matters of principle concerning the conclusion of a contract, which were raised by all the unions. Such as the scale of the contract, based on which workers will receive increments, like all public and semi-public sector workers. Second is the ATA, for which each organization cannot decide on its own,” he explained.
Although they are keeping a small basket, next Tuesday the unions are expected to submit their positions again before OKYPY, but if, as Mr. Argyridis said, “the Organization is available and wants us to negotiate a proper contract, we will do it . But if he pulls it off and wants to be a lone rider, in terms of the terms of employment of a semi-public organization, then they should be accountable to the world and the State”.
For his part, the president of PASYKI, Marios Koumas, characterized OKYPY as an Organization that violates the law and requested the intervention of the State. As he explained speaking toREPORTER, “OKYpY violates the law itself. They must stop hiding behind so-called rating systems. The first ones to be evaluated are themselves. The stake is the hospitals and the General Health System and the State should intervene immediately”. paths the public hospitals, since it has connected the ATA and the increases of the employees with evaluations. “The law stipulates the conclusion of an employment contract, with the granting of increases. If the State considers that it has voted and that OKYpY should not be audited, then they should be appointed immediately”, he said.
The six guilds will meet with the Organization and the Minister of Health next Tuesday and if there is no light in their negotiations, it is uncertain so far what steps they will take together.
