EFJ Backs Strike by Journalists and Media Workers in Greece

EFJ/IFJ Message of Support and Solidarity 23 June 2009
EFJ Backs Strike by Journalists and Media Workers in Greece
EFJ Message of Solidarity to Greek Colleagues
The European Federation of Journalists(EFJ) and its member unions throughout Europe fully support the 24 hours strike announced by its affiliate, the Journalists’ Union of Athens Daily Newspapers (JUADN), along with all other media workers starting today at 17.00 in all media - print, broadcasting and digital- whether private, public or city owned.
The reason for the strike is the sudden decision by Theodoros and Gianna Angelopoulos, owners of Eleftheros Typos and Sunday Typos newspapers, radio station CITY 99,5 and the group’s information site to dismiss 450 journalists and media workers as a result of closing down these media.
These latest dramatic events add up to daily job redundancies and the rapid deterioration of labour and social security rights in almost all news organisations. This is born out of situations in which many journalists have not been paid (EXPRESS) or have been dismissed at the broadcasting stations SKAI, ALTER and STAR TV as well as at newspapers such as CHORA, DERBY and APOGEYMATIN and radio station XENIO.
We further denounce the lack of transparency in cases of colleagues employed under short-term contracts at Greece’s public broadcaster station, ERT.
The European Federation of Journalists says that the strike reflects the mood of resistance among journalists and media staff throughout European media over worsening industrial relations, dismissals and low pay. The answer to the actual media crisis cannot lie in cuts and complete disregard for professional and labour rights of journalists.
Please send messages of solidarity to: dralli@esiea.gr