Evaluation saga rolls on

With its back against the wall over the delays in starting the civil servant evaluation process, the government is reportedly examining the possibility of submitting a provision after the August 15 holiday that will pave the way for its implementation – after missing a string of deadlines.

According to sources, the provision that will be submitted by the Administrative Reform Ministry will stipulate that the involvement of civil servants in the evaluation is a prerequisite for their participation in the new mobility system to be implemented in September. Employees that do not take part in the evaluation will also be excluded from the mobility process, and thus will be denied the possibility of moving to places that they want.

According to the same sources, the provision will also clarify that civil servants will be excluded from the mobility for the duration of time they do not participate in the evaluation.

The vast majority of civil servants have opted not to take part in the evaluations.

Civil service officials estimate that 70 percent of public sector employees have refused evaluation, while ADEDY, the public sector union, says the number stands at 80 percent.

The impasse over the issue has also raised concern among the country’s international creditors as, according to the agreed time frame, the evaluation system had to be in place by the end of June. Ministry officials believe that linking the evaluations with mobility should bring the desired result as the delays, they say, have not been caused by the reluctance of employees to participate in the process but the refusal of their superiors.

New Democracy slammed the government for the delays, saying that they were due to a “coordinated effort to undermine any evaluation process in previous years which has led to today’s dead ends.” 

Administrative Reform Minister Olga Gerovasili shot back, saying the Greek people do not share ND’s “joy in blind redundancies.”