Presidential assistants win legal battle for indefinite public sector employment

The Labor Disputes Court justified the four close associates of the former President of the Republic, Nicos Anastasiades, who were seeking permanent employment in the Public Sector under indefinite status. According to the decision, the termination of their employment by the House of Representatives was declared illegal and unconstitutional. As a result, the four remain in the public sector under indefinite status. It should be noted that they were serving in the Presidential Palace as associates of Nicos Anastasiades and, based on their contract, were converted to employees under indefinite status.

The Parliament, following a proposal by MP Eirini Charalambidou, removed the indefinite employment status of these specific assistants from the state budget for 2022, considering their permanent employment in the public sector as an obvious and blatant case of nepotism. As a result, the four assistants of the former President of the Republic submitted a request to the Labor Court in November 2022, seeking an order declaring the termination of their employment in the public sector by the Parliament as illegal and unconstitutional. At the same time, they obtained a court order allowing them to remain in public service until a decision is reached. 

In a statement released on Friday afternoon by the Audit Service, it was revealed that four individuals, who were appointed to permanent positions within the Public Service by the former President of the Republic Nikos Anastasiadis, did not meet the necessary qualifications and were appointed due to their political affiliations. The Service further points out that their salaries were higher than what would be expected for their duties and qualifications, with some earning up to 3,076 euros per month, despite not even having a university degree.

Source: Kathimerini.com.cy