Nikos Syrmalenios: «Closing and weakening the ELTA on the islands»

For decisions already taken on «closing shops or even reducing the number of employees in shops in the most populated areas» of the ELTA, makes reference, in a written statement, to the MP for Cyclades of SYRIZA, Nikos Syrmalenios. 

Mr Syrmalenios denounces «decisions in the pipeline» on the part of the General Secretariat of Telecommunications and Postal Services but also of Central Administration of the ELTA, that aim to leave «uncovered, by these services, large areas of our country».

In detail, the statement of Mr. Syrmalenios.

“In recent months, we have been receiving messages from all over the world that the branches of ELTA in islands.

The MPs of SYRIZA - P.S. and I personally have repeatedly intervened in the Parliament with many forms of parliamentary intervention (Questions, Petitions etc.), supporting the Municipalities and the local bodies of local communities who are asking the government to revoke the decisions being taken on the ELTA.

To these interventions, the responses we received (which I am attaching) attempt to justify the unjustifiable. And of course, no ministry has officially replied to us directly, while the Ministry of Digital Policy refers us to its supervised services, namely the General Secretariat of Telecommunications and Postal Services and the Post Office.

In more detail, the General Secretariat, after telling us that it is not in its competence the operational operation of the ELTA, then accepts that it is its responsibility to provide uninterrupted universal postal service throughout Greece and of course at an affordable price. It does not tell us, of course, whether the conditions of this universal service are being met, since with the closure of many shops and the reduction in the number of employees, many regions and islands will be left with little or no service. Also the central administration of ELTA claims that “...it monitors all demographic, social and administrative changes, evaluates and redesigns the needs of the postal network...and then finds that...with the great reduction in the volume of mail, changes are imposed in the way services are provided...which, whether it is a suspension of shop operations or a modification of working hours, is done with due caution....”

There is no longer any doubt that from the above answers, the decisions to close shops or reduce the number of employees in shops in more populated areas have already been taken.

After all, v. 4758/2020 (Government Gazette A 242/4.12.2020), which concerns the so-called «consolidation» of the Organization, foresees for the immediate future a significant reduction in staff, dismissals of employees with a contract, through non-renewal and departure of staff with punitive voluntary exit, while despite the government assurances of non-closure of stores, the shrinkage of postal services is planned, so that of the 700 stores at least 200 will be closed.

Merger of postal sectors, abolition of offices and branches especially in remote areas, change in the distribution model, are just some of the «changes» that the plan of the Central Administration of the ELTA, as required by the law passed, creates obvious irregularities and leaves large areas of our country uncovered by these services. This is why SYRIZA-P.S. had reacted strongly in Parliament by voting against the bill, calling it a bill for the dissolution and not the consolidation of the ELTA, in order to hand it over to private competitive interests.

This is the harsh reality and it can only be changed or overturned through the united struggles of stakeholders and local communities.”.