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Anastasia Balezdrova

The meeting between the Minister of Education and the rectors who are trying to resolve the crisis in the Greek universities, which has been ongoing for more than three months, ended with compromises.

The press conference of the rector of the University of Athens, Theodossis Pelegrinis, which had been announced last Friday, was cancelled. Instead, a meeting of the council of rectors adopted the proposals of the Ministry of Education and decided to resume the functions of the universities.

In particular, the council of rectors has decided the following:

- The administrative employees should return to their workplaces.

- Those who had not participated in the census should not face disciplinary councils.

- They should be awarded additional points that will improve their position in comparison with other candidates for inclusion in the mobility programme.

- The administrative employees who have the necessary skills should be promoted to positions in the category "teachers at university laboratories".

- New jobs should be created within an organisation which is about to be established within the university in order for it to employ the administrative staff included in the mobility programme.

- The Ministry should allocate funds to cover the staffing needs until the end of the process for determining the employees who will be laid off.

Minister of Education Konstantinos Arvanitopoulous supported the decision of the council of rectors, defining it as "important and responsible" for the opening of universities. He said that immediately after the resumption of the functions of the universities the Ministry would take the necessary measures to prevent the loss of the term, regarding the students at the University of Athens.

The administrative employees, in turn, said that they would firmly support their initial request, namely that the government should withdraw the expected cuts. They said they could not return to their workplaces unless they receive written guarantees that all of them would retain their jobs. Later it became clear that they had received the decision of the council of rectors in writing and that they had sat to discuss it.

In previous statements, they had indicated that they would not give up and would continue the strike announced for Monday and Tuesday. "Our intention is, along with the doctors, to create a united front against the destructive policy of the government," said their representative.

The union of doctors has decided to intensify their protest by refusing to attend the meeting with Minister of Health Adonis Georgiadis, whom the trade unionists accuse of intransigence.

In particular, the union has announced the implementation of continuous 24-hour strikes until 3 December. During this period, emergency personnel on duty will serve the health services of the national health care system.

According to representatives of doctors, at the last meeting in the Ministry of Health, its leadership reiterated its intention to lay off thousands of their colleagues. Meanwhile, Adonis Georgiadis has expressed readiness to continue the dialogue with the doctors. "I think the doctors were quick to go on strike before they were aware of the final plan. I have repeatedly stated that as soon as I have it in my hands I will invite them to discuss it. I do not understand why it is necessary to inconvenience the people," he said and urged them to return to work.

While the union claimed that the strike involved 95% of doctors in the national health care system, the Minister said that the participation was not so strong. "The first phone calls I made showed that it was not very successful."

At the same time, being perceived as the only minister who is struggling to push through reforms in his sector, he has started yet another swordplay with the opposition. This time the reason is the draft on medicines, which is expected to be voted on Wednesday. SYRIZA argues that, through the new law, the government will bring to the Greek pharmaceutical market international companies producing generic drugs of questionable quality.

The attacks have provoked Minister Adonis Georgiadis’ wrath. He accuses the leftists of the fact that their statements serve the interests of the Greek pharmaceutical companies that want to continue to live on the toil of the financially exhausted health funds.

According to the Minister, the law will reduce the prices of 12,000 patented and generic medicines. He commented on the probability of SYRIZA voting against the draft by saying, "I would like the people to know that the government wants to reduce the prices of medicines whereas Mr. Tsipras wants to incease them."