Greek seasonal firefighters protest for permanent employment contracts

At midday, several hundred firefighters gather in front of the Greek Parliament in Athens. One of them is Giorgos Tzelepis. He is the union president of the seasonal firefighters and has called for a protest. He and his colleagues are demanding permanent employment contracts. "They squeeze us like a lemon and then we are useless to them. As long as they need us, we are heroes," says Tzelepis. "If the fires die down, they'll throw us away."

The fire service system in Greece is very different from that in Germany. There is no comprehensive network of volunteer fire departments. There is a centrally controlled national professional fire department. Of the approximately 9,000 Greek firefighters who are actively involved in fighting fires, around a quarter only have seasonal contracts. This means they are hired for eight months per year and the contract ends when the fire risk decreases.

Growing fear of unemployment

Firefighter Georgia also came to the demonstration. She loves the job, she says, but hates the insecure employment relationship. "Every year I'm stressed about whether they'll take me back. That takes a toll on me mentally," she says. Her colleague Drosos adds: "The problem is that if we get injured, we may not be reinstated next year." There is no legal protection for this.

The firefighters could also be needed outside of the fire season. For example, controlled burning of protective corridors so as not to fuel future fires, adds union leader Tzelepis. It is paradoxical that firefighters are not hired to prevent forest fires. “We receive unemployment benefit of 600 euros net for three months and no money at all in the fourth month,” he says.

New age limit creates additional concerns

What is now further fueling the conflict is the government's announcement that many new firefighters are to be hired - but with an age limit of 30 when applying. The government justifies the move by saying that the average age of the Greek fire brigade is very high overall. Many seasonal workers, like 45-year-old union leader Giorgos Tzelepis, have no chance of getting new contracts.

This also worries the permanent firefighters. Some show solidarity, like Akis Bardakis. The chairman of the Panhellenic Association of Firefighters and Forestry Commandos also came to the demonstration. He fears that a lot of experience will be lost as a result of the new regulation. "A new applicant who is young, 20 or 21 years old, is good, but at the same time he is totally inexperienced."

Whether the demonstration helped the seasonal firefighters? Unclear. Some government representatives accept the firefighters' list of demands. There was no official statement on Monday. But it would be difficult for the Greek government to permanently ignore the firefighters. Her job is too important for that.