According to Greek Health Minister Thanos Plevris, the return-to-work order for unvaccinated medical staff would likely be repealed from Jan. 1, 2023 if not sooner. During the height of the pandemic, the country followed its European neighbors in laying off unvaccinated hospital workers. Around 6,500 workers were sidelined as a result of this action.
The move to furlough unvaccinated workers was strongly opposed by the National Association of Public Hospital Employees (POEDHN), the main union of Greek hospital workers. POEDHN later challenged the decision through a complaint lodged with the Greek Council of State, the country's top administrative court. It then ruled in favor of the union, ordering the repeal of the measure and the reinstatement of furloughed medical staff.
"The ruling will be implemented, though I tell you – I think it is a dangerous decision for public health," Plevris told Mega TV.
According to a November report by the Greek daily newspaper Kathimerini, more than 2,000 health staff – including around 170 doctors – remain unvaccinated.
In October, the health minister derided medical staff who refused to get the COVID-19 vaccine due to different reasons. "Unvaccinated health workers have no place in the health system, because they do not believe in science," he said at the time.
POEDHN President Mihalis Giannakos lauded the Council of State's decision as "a total victory" for health workers. The union leader also urged Plevris to provide workers with at least 50 percent of their wages backdated to April.
Greece's medical fascism previously targeted the unvaxxed elderly
Earlier, COVID-19 health measures implemented in the Hellenic nation targeted unvaccinated elderly citizens. Greeks aged 60 and older had been fined for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine. A €50 ($52.50) penalty was imposed on the first instance of rejecting vaccination, while subsequent declines merited a €100 ($105) fine every month moving forward.
According to Plevris, the country's tax service was in charge of collecting the fines – which were then directed to helping state-run hospitals. "The age factor is important because of its impact on the public health service," he explained. (Related: Unvaccinated elderly Greeks to face FINES for turning down Covid clot shots.)
Athens later suspended the measure to fine unvaccinated elderly Greeks in April, albeit temporarily. The health minister confirmed the suspension on April 15, adding that the said measure would be reviewed in September.
Plevris announced in October that elderly Greeks who were earlier fined for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine but eventually got injected will have their penalties canceled. "Those 300,000 citizens who paid the fine and were vaccinated later, [their] money will be returned to them," the health minister told ANT1 TV.
He stressed that the "vaccination of people over 60 years old in Greece is at 80 percent" and that "there is interest in updated [COVID-19] vaccines."
Those who remain adamant with refusing the COVID-19 shots, however, will have a €300 ($315) fine booked on the tax office account – and could even have their assets seized should the penalty remain unsettled.
MedicalFascism.news has more stories about Greece's discrimination of its unvaccinated citizens.
Watch this WION report about unvaccinated elderly Greeks being fined.
This video is from the GalacticStorm channel on Brighteon.com.
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