Greece’s Public Power Company hired an artistic director for its choir. It sounds like a bad musical the moment the PPC announced to retrieve retrospectively €735 million euros from electricity consumers as outstanding debt have reached 2.2 billion euros.
In a job opening that run from March 24 to April 10, 2017 the PPC stated it was seeking an artistic director for the choir of PPC-DEDHE for a period of of 8 months, from 1. May to 31. December 2017.
Payment for the whole contract period would be 15,000 euros, or 1,875 euros per month.
Among the job duties of the director is organization and administrations, music teaching, select the choirs members from active and retired PPC-DEDHE personnel and select new members for the renewal of the choir.
The PPC has been financially and morally support the choir since its establishment in 1998, the company said and added a long list of place the choir has performed up to now: Herodion Theater,
Thessaloniki Concert Hall, Panathinaiko Stadium, Ancient Stadium of Delphi, the Opera House. the choir has made also appearances in sports events such as: the opening and closing ceremonies of the Athens 2004 Olympic & Paralympic Games, the hand over of the Olympic flame at the Olympic Games in Barcelona and the opening ceremony of the World Athletics Championship in 1997. It has participated in choral festivals abroad (Czech Republic, Sweden, Bulgaria, Cyprus, etc.).
I cannot help but making some remarks here:
- the monthly salary for the artistic director is too low
- does the PPC hires also hairdressers, tailors, etc for the needs of the choir?
- where do the funds for the transport and accommodation of the choir come from?
- do the choir member receive extra remuneration and/or days off for their appearances and rehearsals?
Or is it the Greek dudes who pay for the “hobby” of the PPC well-paid employees “who started the musical ensembles out of love for the choral singing” as the statement says?
“The choir has made many appearances in the context of events taking place in places where the PPC operates, as a cultural offer to the residents of these areas.”
- 5. Has anyone ever heard or seen this famous choir?
Some mean Greeks claim now that the choir is in the context of the famous tradition of Greek utility companies (and some banks) to find ways to have their employees and their powerful to enjoy a little extra in benefits.
And not only. Greece’s utility companies and what it is called ‘the broader public sector’ was always the best place for political parties to ‘park’ voters before and after elections.
Last month, after an urgent note by the Culture Ministry, the PPC decided to hire 2,338 personnel to perform archaeological works when needed in areas where the PPC conducts infrastructure works, mainly in Florina and Kozani in northern Greece. The work contract would run for 8 months. There will be 319 archaeologists and 1,840 workers, architects, engineers, guards etc. It is the PPC that will pay for the salaries and social contributions. As expected the powerful union GENOP-PPC complained that the cost for this hiring would amount 15 million euros.
Hiring archaeologists and artistic directors, when the PPC claims it needs the 735 million euros and will put an extra charge on electricity bills also on those who can hardly afford to pay these overcharged bills? Cosnumers owe to PPC a total of 2.2 billion euros.
This morning, police in Patras arrested a couple in their late 40’s who had illegally reconnected the power after the PPC had cut the supply due to outstanding debts.
See also: Greeks are furious as Public Power Company increases charges on electricity bills
PS Are we completely nuts in this country????
