Minister: Unionists’ strike at Hellenic Aerospace Industry threatening hundreds of millions of euros in contacts; opposition to hiring of 15 temp technicians

The state-appointed management of Hellenic Aerospace Industry (HAI or EAB) on Wednesday filed an urgent motion in an Athens first instance court to declare an industrial action at the facilities illegal.

The motion was filed after the relevant finance and development ministers in the Mitsotakis Cabinet ordered management to end the strike, as revealed by the latter, Adonis Georgiadis, during statements on a news radio program the same day.

Unionists at the complex, due north of Athens proper, have called the strike to prevent 15 contract technicians temporarily hired by Lockheed Martin from participating in major contracts dealing with the F-16 fighter plane – among others, the “workhorse” of the Hellenic Air Force.

“If Lockheed Martin departs, then the very existence of the company (HAI) is threatened,” Georgiadis said, saying hundreds of millions of euros in contracts are at risk because “certain unionists of the company aren’t allowing 15 technicians to work, staff hired temporarily until permanent hirings are completed,” he said.

A union rep had earlier spoke to the same radio program, on SKAI, and maintained that, among others, the temporary technicians are being paid double what permanent staff take home, while also claiming “know-how and expertise” is subsequently “exported” to other LM contacts in Europe.