14.2.13
The Prime Minister Antonis Samaras will preside over the Governing Reform Council, which will evaluate changes to the structures of the Ministries of Justice, Labor, Agricultural Development and Macedonia-Thrace. Changes have already been approved for the Ministries of Administrative Reform and the Environment.
During a further Council meeting next week, a further five ministries will similarly be evaluated, with a special procedure for the ministries of Public Order and National Defense. The government’s plan is to simplify ministerial structures and surveying bodies, in order to reduce costs and redistribute staff, in accordance with memorandum commitments.
All changes are related to the mobility schedule, regarding the availability, suspension and transfer of civil servants. At the same time, with a number of employees being suspended and others waiting to be transferred, the government has trouble convincing anyone that there will be no layoffs, but a redistribution of staff to cover positions.
The memorandum commitment of the tripartite government for 2013 is for 25,000 civil servants from the public sector and local government bodies to be inducted in the “mobility program”. Government claims that vacant spots to arise after the restructuring can be covered by employees in the “mobility program” are highly disputed.
