Seasonal firefighters are desperate after the incidents at the Ministry of Civil Protection. “They are throwing us on the street” they emphasize while reporting that the MAT attacked them.
Evangelos Tsoukalas, president of seasonal firefighters and seasonal firefighter Athena Skourtis on Saturday 2/11 spoke to “MEGA Weekend” about their requests on the occasion of the gathering at the Ministry of Civil Protection.
“We have some issues, the first is our right to the notices that go out for 12-month work, for forest rangers, for drivers, and they exclude us from them, because of the age limit which is 35 years. We seasonal firefighters do not have the right to participate in tenders because we are cut off by age. Our second issue is that after 6 years they are throwing us out on the street. A new announcement will be issued again with age criteria. We were not told that there would be permanent employment, however, many seasonal workers were permanent and we believed that something similar would happen for us as well,” said Mr. Tsoukalas.
“Our gathering was at 11 and we started gathering from 9. At 2 in the afternoon they asked a 4-member committee to speak together with our leader, Mr. Vaya, and after the meeting the deputy minister also received us. We have been told on our requests that our contracts will not be renewed nor will the age issue be resolved. We went down to inform about what happened and a lot of indignant people entered the ministry. At some point we were all in the ministry. We didn’t disturb anything, no damage. After a prosecutor’s order we were given a leeway to get out of the building. At 8.30 am the chief of police and I came to an agreement, we start to leave and we told him if we can sit in the courtyard. The officer told us we could sit. He had arrived at 8.40. At that time, the MAT appeared and started hitting colleagues on the head with globes. Chemicals were used in a closed space,” he underlined.
“It is false that we went to enter the Operations Center. You do not disturb the colleagues. We were on the escalators. We will continue our struggle, and our gatherings, we have also gone to court. The minimum the state has to do is to renew our contracts. We are 2,500 family heads. There are shots that stepped on our colleagues and that are dragging them”, he added.
“We ask for the obvious – that we fill the 4000 vacancies”
Ms. Skurti, in her turn, said: “regarding the permanence, we are asking for 123 months of work, we want to work, and given the gaps. There are 4,000 spaces.
We want these positions to be filled by us. We ask for the obvious.”
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**Interview with Evangelos Tsoukalas, President of Seasonal Firefighters**
**Interviewer:** Thank you for joining us today, Mr. Tsoukalas. Can you begin by telling us why you and your fellow seasonal firefighters felt the need to protest outside the Ministry of Civil Protection last week?
**Evangelos Tsoukalas:** Thank you for having me. Our protest was born out of desperation and frustration. Seasonal firefighters like myself have dedicated years to protecting our forests and communities, yet we face a significant issue when it comes to job security. Many of us, after serving multiple seasons, are abruptly dismissed due to age limits that disqualify us from applying for 12-month positions. It feels like we’re being thrown out on the street after our hard work.
**Interviewer:** You mentioned age limits as a significant barrier. Can you elaborate on how this affects your members?
**Evangelos Tsoukalas:** Certainly. The current regulations impose an age limit of 35 years for positions like forest rangers and drivers. This means that despite having the skills and experience needed, many of us in our 30s are excluded from applying for these critical roles. It feels unjust, especially when there are many young people who could be valuable in these positions if given the opportunity.
**Interviewer:** There’s also the concern of job permanence for seasonal workers, correct?
**Evangelos Tsoukalas:** Yes, that’s correct. After six years of seasonal work, many of us expect to transition into permanent roles, especially since some seasonal workers have made that leap in the past. However, the repeated announcements hinting at a new round of hiring still highlight the age restrictions, leaving many of us in limbo. We were never properly informed that permanent employment was off the table for us, which has led to even more disappointment and anger within our ranks.
**Interviewer:** During the protest, there were reports of clashes with the police. Can you share what happened?
**Evangelos Tsoukalas:** It was disheartening. Our gathering was peaceful, intending to voice our concerns and seek dialogue about our issues. However, as the situation escalated, police intervened, and clashes unfortunately ensued. We were simply trying to advocate for our rights, but it felt like we were met with aggression instead of understanding.
**Interviewer:** What do you hope will come from these protests and your ongoing advocacy?
**Evangelos Tsoukalas:** Our goal is to bring attention to our plight and hopefully prompt the government to reconsider the policies affecting seasonal firefighters. We demand fair recruitment processes that do not discriminate based on age and that recognize the dedication we’ve shown over the years. We want a system that supports all firefighters, allowing us to continue serving our communities without fear of being discarded.
**Interviewer:** Thank you, Mr. Tsoukalas, for sharing your insights and clarifying the challenges facing seasonal firefighters in Greece.
**Evangelos Tsoukalas:** Thank you for giving us a platform to express our concerns. We hope for a resolution that acknowledges our contributions and supports our future.