What will happen to the recruitments made due to Covid-19

By Dimitris Katsaganis

The case of the 23,500 temporary contractors in the State will run with two basic “speeds”.

The reason for those who were hired in Health structures and Local Government Organizations after the outbreak of the pandemic, ie from March 2020, in order to cover emergency needs of the State to limit the spread of coronavirus.

The first “speed” belongs to those who were hired in Health structures, whose contracts expire on December 31, 2022. Therefore, these contractors continue their work until then.

The second “speed” belongs to those who were hired in the public sector due to coronavirus but did not work in Health structures, ie mainly in municipalities, their contracts expired on May 31, 2022. According to circles of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there is no possibility of extending their contract with government decision.

However, in several cases, these contractors have appealed to the courts seeking an extension of their contract.

The same sources point out that the courts have approved precautionary measures and so the employees have remained temporarily in their jobs until the trial of their case.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials told Capital.gr that the government will take a stand against possible positive court decisions, if and when they are issued.

From there on, sources of Capital.gr to competent executives state that in case the courts do not justify the appeals of these contractors and thus pave the way for their dismissal, the municipalities could – if they decide, but on their own expenditure (ie from their own resources, eg reciprocal fees and not from the state budget) – to keep them on their staff, but through a new recruitment to meet their seasonal needs in other “posts”, but not above from 4 months.

Otherwise, according to circles of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, those contractors due to Covid-19 are fired can, like all other interested parties, apply for recruitment in the municipality of their choice when there will be announcements from him.

Regarding the forthcoming recruitments in the Municipalities, they point out from the side of YPES to Capital.gr, that they will be done within the framework of the annual planning.

Each municipality (as well as every Ministry and body of the State) will submit in the next period its request for recruitment to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

These requests will be examined by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and at the end of September the final decisions will be taken by the Council of Ministers.