Greek Interior Minister States Municipal Position Transfers Are Voluntary

The Interior Minister spoke on Skai Radio and denounced the report that local authority employees would have to shift, so Greece could meet the 3,000 set transfer goal.

Dinopoulos stated: "I have not read the report but there are no such plans because there is a voluntary program...If a problem arises then we will take action", according to Kathimerini.

Municipal worker's voluntary transfer registration deadline is set for August 29th, and Greece must reach it mobility goals by September's end. Greece's fifth troika review will occur in the middle of September.

An Interior Ministry authority described, "The scheme for inter-municipal transfers is ongoing so it would be wrong to make any assessment at this stage...There is time to take other measures if the target is not met".

A total of 1,000 voluntary relocations have currently occurred, and 2,000 more must be made to meet troika's stated goal. Yet, the local authority employee's union POE-OTA does not support the act and has requested its employees to not participate in the transfers.

The voluntary transfer deadline has been lengthened three times, as workers are concerned over the government's promise that layoffs and salary decreases won't occur through position shifts.