Galery

1

The government is planning to save over 148 million euros by cutting off money for civil servants which were to given them to travel back to their home places and take part in the election process. The only people, who will be financed by the state will be those who participate in the electoral procedure, said the Deputy Minister of Interior Yannis Dolios, leaving unclear the question about whether the number of 97,724 workers in the public sector who have so far received money, will be reduced.

State officials expect to receive their allowance, which in some cases reaches the record 2,000 euros in order to "fill in the holes" after they had their other allowances cut off according to the signed memorandum, as they are saying themselves. The allowance for the elections is a typical example of the policy of the past government in relation to the allowances, as each government has increased this allowance by 20%, which has resulted in the distribution of these inflated amounts.

Over the years, employees who were entitled to receive this allowance be increased with incredible excuses. All employees of the Ministry of Interior have been receiving an allowance for voting at the elections, as well as the employees of other ministries such as those working in the prisons of the Ministry of Justice, the employees in legal medical services, etc.

After some agreements with the former Minister of Interior Prokopis Pavlopoulos, the officials in the local government have earned themselves to be given allowance on a monthly basis, not at once. The allowance for transportation as it is named is in the amount of 64 euros, and the minister has agreed with the workers that there are no further requests for its increase. After the implementation of the terms in the memorandum, this allowance for "transportation" was cut from the salaries of the employees.

Therefore, the workers in the local government services have programmed to go on strike on 14^th October and are warning the government that unless they receive their compensation for the elections, the size of which will be agreed upon with negotiations, they will be going on strikes in the days of the elections.

Officials in the municipalities are in one way or another involved in the electoral process – the employees waste collection company are cleaning the schools, other officials are carrying the ballot boxes for voting, and in the evening many of them act as "ambassadors" and carry the bags with the newsletters and reports for the results to the courts of first instance.

But many of the employees who receive this allowance have nothing to do with the electoral process such as those who work with the General Secretariat for Civil Protection, for the General Secretariat for Gender Equality, etc. Thus for the elections in October 2009 an elections allowance have received a total of 157,000 employees, including those working in the local government. The amounts vary between 200 euros for 55 employees who work in the National Council for Radio and Television and reached  2,600 euros for the employees of the Ministry of Interior. "Compensation" for the elections are also receiving judicial officials, prosecutors, policemen, dock workers, employees of the Electoral Board, and 39 million euros are given to court officials and inspectors. Since yesterday, meanwhile, started the procedures for the appointment of court officials for the elections.