One of the most barbaric forms of modern work today in Greece is called 5-months employment. Thousands of workers, who were long-term unemployed in the previous period, are employed in the municipalities with flexible forms of employment and underpaid programs aiming to the “recycling” of the unemployed and at the same time gaining cheap labor force with no rights, in the service of the capital. The 5months programs are fixed-term contracts (for only 5 months) for unemployed people. They are paid with much lower wages than the normal worker and they are used to cover the huge lack of staff that the staff-reductions in public services and municipalities have brought.
The working conditions for the people who have 5-months contracts are very bad because they are usually being charged to do different, much heavier jobs than those for which they are hired, without even the necessary health and safety measures, especially in cleaning services of the municipalities. It is characteristic that people with 5-months contract, are placed in the cleaning services of municipalities without being given not even gloves, or the necessary vaccinations. Another problem they face is the payment delays. Payments are made usually at the end of the contract, i.e. after 5 months!!! The situation is dramatic. The workers and their families are facing problems of survival, as they have no money either for the elementary.
Facing this situation the forces of PAME called upon the workers with 5-months contracts join the trade unions, to form committees and demand the immediate payment of their wages, Health and Safety Measures.
This activity has led to the creation of dozens of workers’ committees of 5-months contracts throughout Greece. They organised actions, which forced municipalities to make the necessary vaccinations for the workers, to take health and safety measures etc. Simultaneously, a protest demonstration has been scheduled for Friday September 4, at the Ministry of Labor, demanding the immediate payment and the protection of health of all the workers with 5-months contracts.
PAME – Public Sector
