Ministry rebuffed over sacked staff

The Supreme Court on Friday rejected an appeal by the Finance Ministry for a lower court ruling ordering the ministry to rehire hundreds of laid-off cleaning staff to be frozen.

The country’s top court rejected the ministry’s appeal, for a temporary order to freeze a decision by the Athens Court of First Instance, less than 24 hours after it was lodged.

The ministry is to press its case, however, with its appeal for the court of first instance’s decision to be revoked scheduled to be heard on June 10.

Last week, the Athens Court of First Instance upheld an appeal by 397 ministry cleaners against their induction into a mobility scheme last September, describing their suspension as illegal and unconstitutional and ordering that they be rehired by the ministry.