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Public-sector geotechnicians in Greece will stage a strike on Friday, September 11, with the Panhellenic Federation of Geotechnical Public Employees (POGDY) calling for immediate government action to address what it describes as long-standing problems in geotechnical services.

The union says the main issues include understaffing, growing administrative and inspection responsibilities, inadequate legal protection, compensation for inspection work and the introduction of a hazardous and unhealthy work allowance.

According to POGDY, geotechnicians are expected to be on the front lines of issues including animal disease outbreaks, official inspections, and the protection of public health, agricultural production and the environment, despite lacking sufficient personnel and resources.

Geotechnicians’ demands

Among the federation’s main demands are:

  • Abolishing the regulation governing operational coordination for foot-and-mouth disease
  • Withdrawing Article 52
  • Immediately staffing geotechnical services
  • Establishing institutional legal protection for geotechnicians
  • Introducing a unified inspection allowance
  • Providing a hazardous and unhealthy work allowance
  • Restoring 13th- and 14th-month salaries
  • Signing a collective labor agreement

POGDY says it has previously submitted proposals, interventions and letters to the government and issued warnings about the problems facing the services. However, it argues that the dialogue has not produced the solutions it considers necessary.

The federation stressed that the strike is not directed against farmers, businesses or members of the public who rely on geotechnical services in their daily activities.

Instead, POGDY argues that the problems within the services also affect citizens. According to the federation, staff shortages, a lack of institutional protection for scientific personnel and pressure on inspection mechanisms make it more difficult to effectively protect producers, consumers and the public interest.

Ahead of the September 11 strike, POGDY is calling on public-sector geotechnicians to participate in large numbers, saying that “patience has run out” and that concrete solutions are now needed.