An employee working at a private company as office clerk has made a complaint the employer asked her to abort the child when he heard that she was pregnant. In her complaint to the local Engineers’ Association, the woman said that “she received threats by the employer after refusing to do so,” implying that the employer wanted her out of the company. Furthermore she complained that she hadn’t received her salary since last June.
The 33-year-old woman, an engineer by profession, was hired as a full-time office clerk for 615 euro gross in the scheme of EU funded jobs and she had engineer’s duties. EU funded jobs are subsidized work places usually for the period of a couple of months, maximum 12 months. Apart from the fact that pregnant workers are protected by law, it is impossible for en employer to fire an employee working at a subsidized work place.
The worker and several unions filed complained to the Labor Inspectors of the Labor Ministry.
Speaking to news website NewsIt.gr, a representative of the Labor Inspectors said “If this is true, it is obviously that it is appalling and illegal,” adding that the control units will investigate the issue.
Newsit.gr contacted the company in Herakleio, Crete, dismissed all the claims as “lies” and promised to send documents that the employee was paid in time.
sources: here and others
PS While awaiting for the documents, I have to note this: we all know that labor rights have been abolished in Greece’s of bailout and loan agreements, that employers take advantage of the 1.3million people without work and income and that 27% of Greece’s unemployed struggle with a smashed dignity for a piece of bread.
