Employees at the Deputy Ministry of Culture and the Department of Antiquities are holding a work stoppage from 09:00 on Wednesday over plans to transfer financial control posts from the department to the ministry as part of the 2027 budget.
The dispute comes as allegations of bullying have also been raised against the Deputy Ministry’s Director-General, Giorgos Papageorgiou.
PASYDY opposes proposed transfers
In a statement, civil servants’ union PASYDY expressed strong opposition to the Deputy Ministry of Culture’s intention to transfer Financial Control Officer posts from the Department of Antiquities to the ministry under the 2027 budget.
In a letter addressed to the Director of the Department of Antiquities, the State Archives Commissioner, the Director of the Department of Contemporary Culture and the Deputy Ministry of Culture, PASYDY said it had become aware of a letter sent by Papageorgiou to the Director-General of the Ministry of Finance.
According to PASYDY, the letter requests that expenditure under budget chapters 03.25.00 to 03.25.71 be placed under a controllable function within the Deputy Ministry’s 2027 budget.
Union warns department heads could lose powers
The union opposes the proposed change and has called on the recipients of its letter not to consent to or accept the proposal.
PASYDY argues that such a move would effectively abolish part of the role currently exercised by department directors by stripping them of their responsibilities as Financial Control Officers for funds relating to their respective departments.
The Culture Ministry strike reflects staff opposition to the proposed restructuring of financial oversight within the ministry.
The union has also raised allegations of bullying involving Director-General Giorgos Papageorgiou. No further details of those allegations were provided in the information released.
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