On Monday 12 May, teachers' unions ELME and SEPE are organising a public event at the Thessaloniki Labour Centre (32 Aristotelous Street) at 6:30 pm. The gathering is in protest against what they describe as authoritarian education reforms, the targeting of union members, and a wave of disciplinary measures. Educators denounce what they see as a campaign of intimidation and heavy-handed tactics by the government, pointing in particular to the case of teacher Chrysa Chotzoglou, who has been placed on "precautionary suspension" by the Ministry of Education. They argue that the educational hierarchy is being mobilised to suppress dissent and enforce evaluation procedures. "This abuse of power must be stopped through relentless resistance," the unions assert in their announcement.

The event is titled:

“Evaluation – Prosecutions – Disciplinary Action – Dismissals”

Monday, 12 May | Thessaloniki Labour Centre | 6:30 pm

The unions and the Action Committee say that the current government has launched an unprecedented campaign of punitive actions aimed at pushing through evaluation reforms. They cite recent moves to discipline educators – particularly union members – who oppose the measures. These include the suspension of Chrysa Chotzoglou, a member of the Piraeus teachers’ union, for implementing decisions made collectively by national and local unions against the evaluation system.

Another educator, Dimitris Chartzoulakis, also a member of the Piraeus union board, is reportedly facing possible dismissal over similar issues.

In Thessaloniki, they report that threats, pressure, and disciplinary actions are intensifying across both primary and secondary education departments.

Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis recently admitted the government’s failure to impose the evaluation scheme on schools and, suggested that teachers who fundamentally oppose it could face dismissal. Unions view this as an attack on freedom of thought, freedom of expression, and the right to strike – rights enshrined in the Greek Constitution.

They argue that the future of education, as envisioned by the current administration, would see teachers, students and workers silenced, submissive and stripped of their rights.

The unions also denounce the government’s broader agenda, including a raft of new educational policies that, in their view, deepen inequality and undermine public education – such as the creation of elite institutions, private universities, market-driven vocational training, and the expansion of standardised exams.

At the same time, austerity policies continue to weigh heavily on salaries, with teachers seeing only token pay increases – around 60 cents a day – while inflation and corporate profits soar.

In healthcare, the public system is crumbling. Greece is increasingly involved in international conflicts, from the war in Ukraine to the bloodshed in Palestine. The unions warn that this growing “war economy” will only bring more hardship to ordinary people.

The protest comes at a critical moment, as teachers enter their fifth consecutive year of opposition to the evaluation framework and what they say is an effort to rank and control both schools and staff. The unions stress that the criminalisation of trade union activity is a deeply political issue and must be resisted at all costs.

Their demands include:

  • An immediate end to disciplinary proceedings and the suspension of Chrysa Chotzoglou
  • The abolition of all evaluation laws
  • Real pay increases and the reinstatement of the 13th and 14th-month salaries and pensions
  • Permanent jobs for all educators – no more precarious contracts
  • Free, public education for all children
  • No more privatisation of essential services like education, healthcare, energy, water and public transport
  • Full accountability for the tragic train disaster in Tempe – no cover-ups

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