The Piraeus Teachers’ Union (ELME) condemns the dire situation faced by teachers on the islands of the Argosaronic Gulf, Kythira, and Piraeus due to housing issues and extremely low salaries. With a starting salary of 776 euros, many teachers are forced to spend large sums on rent; for example, a teacher on Hydra pays 50 euros a day for hotel accommodations. ELME is demanding immediate support from the government, calling for a 300-euro housing allowance and a 20% salary increase, as well as the reinstatement of the 13th and 14th monthly salaries. Read the ELME statement:
THE HOUSING PROBLEM FOR TEACHERS HAS REACHED CRITICAL PROPORTIONS
TEACHERS IN HYDRA ARE STILL STAYING IN HOTELS, PAYING UNAFFORDABLE RATES, SINCE THERE ARE NO HOMES AVAILABLE FOR RENT!
Colleagues, Colleagues
The Piraeus Teachers’ Union (ELME) has highlighted the enormous and escalating housing crisis on the Argosaronic Islands and Kythira—and now in Piraeus as well!
It has highlighted the issue of humiliating salaries (776 as a starting salary for a newly appointed teacher—850 euros for a substitute teacher).
He has taken part in protests (see, most recently, on October 3, at the Ministry of the Interior regarding this issue; here is the statement by ELME: Statement by S. Verras, member of the Board of Directors of ELME Piraeus, at the Ministry of the Interior (youtube.com)), and has taken other initiatives, such as requesting a meeting with the Minister of the Interior, lobbying municipalities to provide a living allowance, solidarity initiatives, etc.).
Today, we are bringing specific complaints from teachers to the public’s attention. Specifically:
- A teacher on the island of Hydra is staying at a hotel for 50 euros a day, since she hasn’t been able to find a place to live since early September! In other words, over 30 days, she has spent 1,500 euros (!), an amount nearly double her salary. And all this, not even counting the cost of … food!
- Another teacher on the same island has also been staying at a hotel since September 30.
- A newly appointed teacher from the provinces spends 600 euros on a 32-square-meter apartment in downtown Piraeus. Add another 100 euros for utilities, and we’re immediately up to 700 euros—with a starting salary of 776! And all this while she’s still paying for a home in her permanent place of residence!
These are just a few examples! It’s truly a disgrace! How is a teacher supposed to do their job under these conditions? With no support from the government, on starvation wages? In conditions of extreme poverty!
We demand that the Municipality of Hydra find housing for our two colleagues that they can afford to rent!
We demand that the government immediately pay a housing allowance of 300 euros, as well as immediately increase teachers’ salaries 20%, and the reinstatement of the 13th and 14th monthly salaries, which were cut in the name of the Memoranda and remain suspended to this day. Teachers are not paupers!
