AKEL on the side of the struggle young teachers are waging
Statement by Christos Christofides, Head of AKEL’s Education Affairs Bureau on the indefinite strike by teachers working in the Education Ministry’s afternoon and evening programs with the “purchase of services” scheme
11th May 2021, AKEL C.C. Press Office, Nicosia
“As we have been doing in practice for 8 years, AKEL expresses once again its unreserved support towards the struggle being waged by the working people in the Education Ministry’s evening and evening programs, who by the illegal and unacceptable purchasing of services are employed in the Ministry.
In 2013, the Anastasiades government has turned hundreds of working teachers into “self-employed”. This decision has disastrous had consequences for hundreds of teachers, mostly young people. They have no employment rights whatsoever. They have lost 35% of their income since they themselves pay for their social insurance contribution, the NHS etc, while during the months they don’t work they are not entitled to any unemployment benefits.
For the past 8 years, AKEL has been taking many initiatives. We have tabled the issue many times for debate in the Parliamentary Education Committee. AKEL is on the side of every struggle young teachers are waging. We are pressing the government as much as we can. Recently, there was a court decision after the appeal made by young teachers with the support of the class trade union federation of PEO, which ruled that the employment of all these people with the “purchase of services” method as illegal.
For 8 years now, the DISY government has been mocking hundreds of young men and women teachers, as before every election they show supposed interest which of course disappears after the election.
This illegality and mockery must end once and for all. We once again call on the DISY Government to stop the illegal and inhumane exploitation of hundreds of teachers and their families. We shall continue to be on their side as always in their just struggles.”
