The case, now under review by the Athens Prosecutor’s Office, could have significant implications for Greece’s fire service, which has been on the frontline of combating devastating wildfires this year.

According to POEYPS, the Fire Department leadership has repeatedly failed to hire sufficient staff to meet the heightened demands of the fire season. As a result, existing personnel are overworked, regularly exceeding legal working hours without receiving overtime pay or the legally mandated rest periods. The union argues that this practice constitutes “forced labour,” prohibited under Article 22, paragraph 4, of the Greek Constitution.

Systematic breaches of labour laws

The firefighters’ complaint accuses the Fire Department of deliberately violating both national and EU labour laws governing working hours, shifts, and rest days. It claims that these breaches are neither incidental nor the result of emergency circumstances but are carried out intentionally and systematically by the Department’s leadership. The union’s legal submission highlights the moral and physical toll this overwork has on firefighters, who are expected to endure “sacrifice” beyond what is considered acceptable for the public interest.

“Firefighters are being made to work long hours without additional pay or adequate rest, under conditions that violate human rights and labour laws,” the union stated. It further alleged that the leadership’s failure to recruit more staff despite knowing that the existing workforce cannot meet the Department’s operational demands is a deliberate act of negligence. The complaint describes the leadership’s behaviour as a “breach of duty” that results in ongoing harm to an indefinite number of employees.

Forced labour and moral harm

The union’s complaint draws particular attention to the constitutional ban on forced labour, arguing that the working conditions imposed on firefighters fit this definition. “The Fire Department’s refusal to hire additional staff has left firefighters overburdened, while the lack of compensation and rest equates to forced labour,” the union said in its filing.

The union has called for an investigation into what it describes as “a series of acts and omissions” by Fire Department officials, which it believes amount to dereliction of duty or other offences. These allegations highlight the broader problem of understaffing within Greece’s emergency services, which has been a persistent issue during the country’s long and intense fire seasons.

Despite repeated warnings from POEYPS and other bodies about the consequences of understaffing, the union claims that the Fire Department has made no meaningful efforts to address the issue. Instead, firefighters are left to bear the brunt of the increased workload during peak periods, often working under extreme conditions for extended periods.

Calls for urgent action

The union has called for urgent action from the government to address the staffing crisis and ensure that firefighters are no longer forced to work under unlawful conditions. In addition to financial compensation, POEYPS is demanding that firefighters be granted the rest periods to which they are legally entitled, and that the leadership take immediate steps to rectify the situation.

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