The
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the European Federation of
Journalists (EFJ) and their Greek affiliates, the Panhellenic Federation of
Journalists' Union (PFJU), the Journalists' Union of Athens Daily Newspapers
(JUADN), the Journalists' Union of Macedonia and Thrace Daily Newspapers
(ESIEMTH) and the Periodical and Electronic Press Union (PEPU), have called on
the Greek government to immediately revoke their unprecedented decision to
close down its public broadcasting station ERT.
Yesterday the Greek government decided to shut down the public
broadcasting organisation's three TV stations, radio and regional radio
stations, satellite emissions and internet portal and will fire a staff of
approximately 2,700 people, adding that it will re-open the organisation on a
smaller scale and with fewer employees.
The government spokesperson, who is also the deputy minister in charge of media
issues and is essentially the government official in charge of ERT, issued a
statement where he asserted a ‘lack of transparency' as the reason for the
public broadcaster's closure. PFJU has called on the private media to go
on rolling 24-hour strikes starting immediately.
In a message to the journalists and media workers assembled at ERT last night,
IFJ President, Jim Boumelha, said: "We are angry that you, your families
and children, should be made to pay for a crisis that is not of your making.
For many years, this crisis, caused by the greed and incompetence of bankers,
businesses and politicians, have put at risk your standard of living, your
wages and your pensions. Now it has taken away your livelihood.
"What happened to you breaks our hearts, it makes us angry but most of all
makes us determined to fight alongside you. The message of the journalists of
the world to your politicians and your bosses is loud and clear -- we
will stand shoulder to shoulder with you to stop this madness. and we will do
everything within our power to get this decision reversed."
EFJ President, Mogens Blicher Bjerregård, said: "This decision is simply
absurd. It will be a major blow to democracy, to media pluralism and to
journalism as a public good in Greece, thus depriving citizens from their right
to honest, level-headed and unbiased information. But it will also mean the
loss of many journalists' jobs across the country.
"It is unacceptable to cut jobs at ERT and to privatize the public media in Greece. Public regional stations cannot be substituted by any corporate
interest.
"The EFJ reminds the Greek government that the High Level Group on media, set
up by the European Commission, recommends that 'there should be a provision of state
funding for media which are essential for pluralism."
The IFJ/EFJ have backed the calls from unions for the plans to be abolished and
called for collaboration and discussion between the parties involved. They are
calling on the government to immediately abandon all plans to abolish public
broadcasting and instead collaborate with the institutional bodies of the
journalism community in order to strengthen information as a public good.
They are also calling on all parliamentarians to coordinate their actions in
order to avert any plans that harm the democratic rights of the communities who
voted for them.
The IFJ/EFJ are calling on member unions to send messages of support to:
[email protected]; [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
EFJ delegates, meeting in Cyprus to promote diversity in the media, issued a
statement, with support of participants, to express their "indignation and shock of the brutal closure
of the public broadcasting service in Greece". To view the statement click here: Protest TV grecque.docx They have also signed a petition calling for the government to reversie its decision, which is being sent to the Greek embassy in Cyprus: http://bit.ly/172lOkP
IFJ/EFJ Spanish affiliate, Federación de Servicios a la Ciudadania de CC.OO (FSC-CC.OO), have expressed solidarity with the workers at ERT and published a statement of support: Comunicado Sector Cierre ERT Griega ENG.doc Staff from RTVE organised a protest at its headquarters in Madrid this monring to show their suppor
IFJ/EFJ affiliate Ver.di, in Germany, have also issued a statement supporting the workers: 1206_ERT-SchließungGriechenland.pdf
And support has also come from IFJ/EFK Italian affiliate, FNSI: http://www.fnsi.it/Esterne/Fvedinews.asp?AKey=15591
In the UK, the NUJ has condemned the closure of the public broadcaster: http://www.nuj.org.uk/innerPagenuj.html?docid=2950
The Executive Boards of PFJU and the other unions, POSPERT and POEPTYM, decided
on nonstop striking mobilization of journalists, technicians and staff
employees in all public and private broadcasting media by declaring 24 hour
repetitive strikes. The strike in all private broadcasting media, as well as public news agency
APE-MPE and the General Directorate of Information, will start at 6am on 12th
June 2013. The strike on print media, newspapers and magazines will start at
6am on Thursday 13 June 2013.
A strike tomorrow has been announced
by the General Confederation of Greek Workers.
There
will also be a major protest held outside the premises of ERT tomorrow at 11.00
(GR time - 12.00 BRU time).
Statements of support for workers at ERT have also been made by other unions across the world:
- Statement of UNI-MEI
- Statement of the EBU
For more information, please contact IFJ on + 32 2 235 22 17
The IFJ represents more than 600.000 journalists in 134 countries