DOE: work stoppages over mandatory overtime

The Teachers’ Federation of Greece (DOE) announced on Thursday, September 3, 2026, a series of continuous work stoppages in protest against mandatory overtime imposed on teachers due to staff shortages in schools. According to the Federation’s announcement, work stoppages will take place from Friday, September 11, through Wednesday, September 30, 2026, and will specifically concern the hour during which teachers are called to work their overtime. The DOE did not announce a specific implementation schedule, as these stoppages are connected to the time when overtime is assigned in each school unit separately, a fact meaning that their implementation will differ from school to school, depending on when the overtime work of each teacher is scheduled.

The mobilization comes at a time when the education system is in the process of staffing ahead of the new school year, with the 23,020 substitute teacher hires being the main tool for filling vacancies in schools. The DOE directly links mandatory overtime to the shortage of permanent staff, arguing that the existing teaching staff is called upon to fill vacant positions beyond their regular hours. The issue of vacancies returns systematically at the beginning of each school year, as filling positions through substitute teacher hires is not always completed before the start of classes, resulting in permanent teachers being temporarily burdened with extra teaching hours.

The choice of work stoppages instead of full abstention means that teaching in most classes is not expected to be interrupted; however, the mandatory overtime—where it has been assigned—will not take place during the work stoppage. The DOE, which represents primary school teachers, thus chooses a form of mobilization that specifically targets the measure it contests, without interrupting the overall school program. This is a tactic that allows the Federation to maintain pressure over a long period, without the cost of a full strike mobilization that would more broadly affect the functioning of schools.

The work stoppages will last nearly three weeks, from September 11 to 30, 2026, a period during which schools will already be in full operation after the start of the school year. The DOE has not announced further escalation beyond the work stoppages so far, nor has a public response from the Ministry of Education to the Federation’s announcement been recorded. Teachers, parents, and school principals are expected to be informed about the exact days and hours of implementation of the stoppages by the local teachers’ unions, as the implementation of the measure will be adapted to the schedule of each school unit separately.