The court’s decision followed an urgent appeal filed by the Minister of Education, Kyriakos Pierrakakis, who requested not only that the strike be declared illegal but also that any future strikes on the same grounds be prohibited. Pierrakakis cited procedural issues, including the teachers’ failure to notify the government in advance and provide the necessary security personnel.
ADEDY’s response: “The strike will proceed as planned”
In reaction to the court ruling, ADEDY’s Executive Committee denounced the government’s move, labelling it unprecedented in Greece’s trade union and educational history. ADEDY has called for a 24-hour strike on October 23, in support of the teachers’ demands, which include salary increases, the reversal of school mergers, and hiring additional staff.
“The Minister of Education has invoked the controversial Hatzidakis Law [Law 4808/21] to try to abolish the right of teachers to strike,” said ADEDY in a statement. “The government’s efforts to criminalise strikes and stifle workers’ voices will not succeed. Tomorrow’s strike will go ahead.”
Greek Teachers’ Federation stands firm: “The strike and rallies will continue”
Despite the court ruling, the Greek Teachers’ Federation (DOE) has reaffirmed its commitment to proceed with the strike and over 50 rallies planned across the country.
“The strike and all scheduled rallies on October 23 will take place as planned,” the DOE stated. “We have already submitted a re-announcement request to ADEDY. We call on all colleagues to stand together and send a powerful message to the government that we will not relinquish our hard-earned rights. The attempt to silence the teachers will not pass.”
DOE criticises the Ministry’s tactics
The DOE strongly criticised the Ministry of Education, accusing it of prioritising court actions over addressing the chronic issues plaguing the education sector. “Instead of resolving the severe problems facing education—such as low wages, the need for a collective labour agreement, and the abolition of unscientific evaluations—the Ministry seeks to silence any voice of opposition,” the statement said.
The union called for mass participation in the emergency mobilisation scheduled for Wednesday, with a central strike rally to take place at 12:00 pm at Propylaea in Athens.
“The voice of the teachers, the voice of the people’s educators, will not be silenced,” the DOE concluded. “We will not allow our right to strike and organise to be taken away.”
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