Union warns of labor unrest over delayed implementation of agreement for disability assistants

On August 10, 2026, the PASYEK-PEO union expressed significant dissatisfaction regarding the five-month delay in implementing a prior agreement aimed at upgrading the pay scale for assistants working with children with disabilities. The union, representing these workers under school boards, states that the government has failed to fulfill its promise to upgrade staff from the E3-E4 scale to E5-E6, a measure originally scheduled for implementation this September.

Beyond the salary upgrade, the union highlights several persistent systemic issues affecting the profession. These include reduced working hours, the constraints of ten-month employment contracts, the lack of income during the summer months, delays in unemployment benefit payments, and a deficiency in professional training programs. PASYEK-PEO characterizes the government's response as insufficient and urges the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth and the Ministry of Finance to honor their commitments immediately to avoid further labor unrest within the education sector.

The union considers the current agreement only a preliminary step toward recognizing the critical role of these assistants. Without immediate action to address these financial and operational grievances, the union has signaled that labor instability in the educational system remains a significant risk for the upcoming period.