A climate of indignation and frustration prevails in the ranks of the 20,000 Professional Armed Forces, as the issue of their retirement remains up in the air, just two years before the first EPO reaches the controversial age limit of 50 years, as conveyed to GRTimes by the president of the Military Union of Rhodes and secretary of POMENS with responsibility for the issues of Professional Soldiers, Nikos Antonopoulos.
“We are possessed by uncertainty and insecurity about the future of the EPODs, especially after the official answer given by the Deputy Minister of Labour, Panagiotis Tsakloglou, who, in response to a topical question on 12/10, underlined that the EPODs who will demobilize will not be entitled to a pension in 50 years, but at 60, as provided by the EFKA. And all this, while in two years the first Professional Hoplite will turn 50. So this man, to this day, does not know what is dawning on him in terms of pension,” said Mr. Antonopoulos.
The latter added that “on the sidelines of the International Exhibition of Thessaloniki, a POMENS delegation, consisting of the president Dimitris Rota, executives and myself, had a meeting with the Minister of National Defense, Nikos Panagiotopoulos, and with the Deputy Minister, Nikos Hardalia, a short meeting during which the commitment was made through the mouth of the minister that by October 15 a bill will be submitted that will regulate the matter. However, it is 1/11 and to date no bill has been tabled, not even a draft. For 3.5 years we have been waiting for a regulation that will determine the future of the EPOP. But until today, absolutely nothing has been done. We are waiting for a bill and we are not seeing a bill.”
“Two years ago, our EPOD colleagues and the entire Armed Forces prevented an invasion of the Evros and are on alert as long as there are tensions in our relations with neighboring Turkey. We know it, it is our job, we do it with self-sacrifice and we will give our blood if necessary. However, this is not recognized in practice by the Greek State, which, although it constantly preaches that the numerous and low-ranking personnel of the Armed Forces constitute the “backbone” of the army, does nothing to ensure this,” adds the secretary of POMENS.
Referring to the general context of retirement problems, Mr. Antonopoulos also referred to the Long-Term Volunteers, who in 2018 were the first to reach the retirement threshold at the risk of being left without a pension. “This specific issue was resolved by the previous government with a law passed in 2019, which abolished the age limits and at the same time gave an upgrade to the Volunteers up to the rank of Lieutenant. Of course, for this to happen, some had to be demobilized. That is, the “bell” rang. Now we ask that this does not have to happen with EPOPs as well”.
In this context – Mr. Antonopoulos told GRTimes – that the requests to the government are very specific. So we ask for EPOPs:
“Three and a half years now, Professional Hoplites live with anxiety and stress. There is a climate of frustration and indignation for 20,000 of our fellow Professional Hoplites from the lack of answers from the State bodies to key issues concerning the future. Both theirs and their families’. We as POMENS will continue to push in all directions, so that a solution is provided as soon as possible and we hope that we will succeed” concluded Mr. Antonopoulos to GRTimes.
