I read the announcement 1/2022 about filling 90 positions in the OSE, for an indefinite period, Secondary education of various specialties, out of reasonable interest, since for 33 years as an employee I know the operation and understand pathologies at the administrative and operational level.

The number of posts advertised is very low, so the question is whether it can fill these gaps of employees who are leaving and retiring, while belittling expectations of relegating the railway to where it existed and essentially ceased to exist, i.e. , in Thrace, in Macedonia, in the Peloponnese and lags behind in key areas where it continues to exist.

However, the announcement also sends more serious signals to society: for example, 36 vacancies for heads of secondary education stations are announced. A reasonable question: why are graduates of universities and universities not in demand to staff the Organization with higher-level personnel with special knowledge? Mainly to modernize a particular sector that is critical to regulation and traffic safety, while stationmasters move towards full-time positions in the Organization. In fact, the exponential development of technology makes upskilling an absolute necessity.

Why; Because by lowering the level of education, the ministry expands the pool of candidates, to the extent that the vast majority of young people can apply, raising the electoral hopes in thousands of families, as the results will be announced after the elections. But there is a more serious issue: before the announcement of 1/2022, station chiefs were hired in the EfE (apparently in other specialties of the announcement) with a block for a certain time. Possible; Since when did OSE start hiring employees with a notepad? How was the selection made, according to what criteria? Was it made public? Was there transparency? Could it be that the selection of recruits additionally imposed secondary education as a qualification compared to higher education, which goes beyond the pre-election expediency of the ministry? Why didn’t they increase the number of posts they promote and resort to selective recruitment blocking and promotion of posts sooner?

However, the hiring of a station master for a certain period, like other industries, would not make sense if it were not intended to make him permanent. Because in order to take on the responsibility of safe traffic control, he undergoes many months of training. It is absurd to hire a worker for a year, when in order to take on a responsible service, safely regulate the movement of trains, he must undergo at least a semester of theoretical and practical training. The cost of education, salary, accommodation, food does not justify a fixed-term contract, in fact for one year.

Therefore, is notice finally coming to move workers on lockdown from fixed-term workers to permanent workers, creating favorable conditions for them, thereby reversing the meritocratic nature of notification, and creating false hopes for thousands of applicants? First, because experience is given disproportionate weight, since experience is defined as “employment … in tasks or projects related to the subject matter of the position held” and it is clear that priority is given to those already serving in a particular position. period of time. As a station manager, what experience can a candidate refer to?

However, in addition to formal qualifications and experience, candidates will pass a “practical test” as described, and this is the key point of the notice, which, if I am not mistaken, is set for the first time: “The purpose of the test is to verify the ability of candidates to meet the requirements of real work conditions” , the message notes. Essentially, “he is judged as either successful or unsuccessful” and “if a candidate fails the practical test, he is removed from the ranking tables.” What is requested? For stationmasters, for example. “orientation check, which includes checking the grammar and communication tools of one’s workplace, as well as the direction of train movement”, “conducting a simulation to test the reactions of candidates in stressful conditions in the line of duty”, “voice check”, “counting cars in a train “,” movement and movement along (!) And inside the railway tracks. These are simple and familiar tests for those already trained and serving. In other words, those who are already serving clearly have an advantage. However, those who were hired by the OFE with a pillow, did he subject them to this practical test, which he now considers necessary?

Thus, two questions arise: since in order to hire an employee in the OSE, past and present according to the notice, he must be found competent in accordance with the “Regulation on Judgment and Physical Capability”, what is the practical test for?; For it goes without saying that a mentally and physically healthy person can easily cope with these tasks. Secondly, according to the announcement, the assessment of candidates is carried out by the OSE, which compiles temporary tables and directly invites those selected to work. It sends the tables to ASEP only for legality checks and not for evaluation, while each candidate can file an objection with ASEP. But how can a practical test objection be successful?

Conclusion: Young people are driven by the thousands to brain drain, not only because of the difficulty of finding a job, its flexible forms and low wages. But mainly because of their disappointment, which turns into confidence, that is, that the client state will not give them a chance as they deserve.

* Mr. Dimitris Makrodimopoulos – Former OSE Chief Engineer, AUTH Civil Engineer.