Civil service reforms placed on back burner
Greece and its lenders have decided to put off for now a discussion regarding a number of civil service reforms that have to be carried out as part of the bailout, sources have told Kathimerini.
The key issues relating to the public sector that have to be discussed between Athens and the institutions include the mobility scheme, hirings for the 2016-18 period and salaries.
Under the terms of Greece’s latest financial assistance package, the government has to draw up by June 2016 a new wage structure in the civil service, ending exemptions from the across-the-board scheme for some small groups of bureaucrats. The new scheme is to be implemented from the start of 2017.
The visiting officials have discussed the issue with Alternate Administrative Reform Minister Christoforos Vernardakis but it was decided that there would be no further negotiations on this issue for the time being due to the fact the government is already handling a number of testing issues.
The coalition also has to agree with the creditors on the number of hirings over the next three years. The government is asking for permission to take on 20,000 people this year and fewer in 2017 and 2018.
However, the lenders would rather the government stick to the target of 10,000 hires this year.
