Announcement of the ministry for the workers at the National Theatre
Announcement-response to the head of Culture of SYRIZA Sias Anagnostopoulos for the workers in National Theaterissued it Ministry of Culture.
In more detail, the announcement states:
The Head of Culture of SYRIZA, falsifies and distorts facts, following cheap opposition practices. In case you are not informed in time about the actions of the Ministry of Culture and Sports, we repeat that the demands of the National Theater Employees’ Union and the Greek Actors’ Union were completely satisfied during their meeting yesterday with the Deputy Minister of Culture Nikolas Giatromanolakis and with the approval of the Minister of Culture and Sports Lina Mendoni. In addition, he should have known the procedure for passing amendments that burden the budget and not spread rumors that ultimately undermine the legislative process itself.
The request for an increase in the daily compensation and overnight expenses was fully satisfied, in an institutional, fair and efficient manner. The press release of July 7, 2022, is practical proof of the commitment of the Ministry’s leadership.
The YPPOA responded immediately and positively to the demands of the Workers’ Union, which is confirmed by today’s announcement by the National Theater and even by the press release of the Unions, in which they make explicit reference to “agreed”. The reason for the insistence on strike action by the National Theater Workers’ Union and the Greek Actors’ Union remains unknown and unexplained.
Regarding the appeal of the National Theatre, we remind you that on the one hand it is an independent and self-governing legal entity and on the other hand that the court did not rule on the legality of the stand as this was not the issue that was raised before it. The only claim adjudicated before the court was imminent danger and threatened harm to the National Theater and the public interest.
For the Head of Culture, however, a great victory for culture is a closed theater and indeed the theater of Epidaurus, a lost show and thousands of disappointed and suffering spectators, despite the full satisfaction of the workers’ demands.
It would be a good thing, if only for once, that SYRIZA would not be happy about this treaty that caused damage to the Greek public and suffering to thousands of spectators, using the workers it never supported in practice during the years of its government.
The statement of Sia Anagnostopoulou
Earlier, the head of SYRIZA’s Culture department had stated the following:
Today’s court decision declaring legal the work stoppage announced by the workers at the National Theater highlights the inability of the Ministry of Culture to manage serious issues in an institutional, fair and efficient manner.
For about a month now, the workers at the National Theater and the KTHBE have been claiming, in a period of unprecedented economic crisis, the self-evident and completely legal right to readjust the daily compensation and overnight expenses for off-site work. This is a minimal increase which corresponds to the amount of 15 euros and will cover the increased costs of travel and accommodation in the midst of uncontrolled and generalized accuracy.
The issue had been brought to the attention of the competent Deputy Minister, without taking any initiative until yesterday, when he met with the representatives of the workers. For the same issue, SYRIZA-PS has submitted a parliamentary question to the relevant ministers. It is obvious that there was time and a technical possibility to submit a relevant amendment to the Parliament – something that was not done.
The workers for their request received no practical and explicit commitment from the ministry, only vague assurances of “good intentions”. The announcement of mobilizations on the part of the workers to assert their demands, turned – on the part of the institutionally competent – ​​into a legal dispute.
For this reason, today’s court decision declaring the work stoppage (20.00 to 24.00) legal, announced by the workers of the National Theater and the Union of Greek Actors, is a great victory for the culture and its people. It is the most solemn proof that workers can now by any legal means claim their right to work with decent terms and conditions. The Ministry of the Interior must – without any other evasions or postponements – clearly specify the way and time of satisfying the requests of the employees.
The inability of the leadership of the Ministry to manage serious issues in an institutional manner is now evident. The responsibility for the postponement of tonight’s show in Epidaurus, but also for the smooth running of the Athens and Epidaurus Festival, rests exclusively on the political leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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