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Greek Workers Strike to Protest Shutdown of State Broadcaster Greek Workers Strike to Protest Shutdown of State Broadcaster
(about 3 hours later)
ATHENS — Thousands of Greeks walked off the job on Thursday in the third general strike of the year, this time called by labor unions to protest a surprise decision by the conservative-led government to close the state broadcaster, putting some 2,900 employees out of work. ATHENS — Thousands of Greeks walked off the job on Thursday in the third general strike of the year, this time called by labor unions to protest a surprise decision by the conservative-led government to close the state broadcaster and put about 2,900 employees out of work.
The nationwide walkout shut down tax offices, left hospitals on emergency staffing and was due to disrupt international flights for several hours in the afternoon. Ferries remained moored in ports and trains at depots. Public transit was also disrupted, though workers were running a reduced service to allow Greeks to join a protest rally. The nationwide walkout shut down tax offices, left hospitals on emergency staffing and disrupted travel. Ferries remained moored in ports and trains at depots, and long delays were expected on international flights. Public transit was also affected, though workers were running a reduced service to allow Greeks to join a protest rally.
Instead of gathering outside Parliament in central Athens, as they have done for anti-austerity protests since the country’s debt crisis began in the spring of 2010, demonstrators met on Thursday outside the headquarters of the now-defunct Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation, or ERT, northeast of Athens. Former employees and supporters have gathered there since Tuesday night, when the authorities pulled the broadcaster off the air. Instead of gathering outside Parliament in central Athens, as they have done for anti-austerity protests since 2010, demonstrators met on Thursday outside the headquarters of the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation northeast of Athens. Former employees and supporters have gathered there since Tuesday night, when the authorities pulled the broadcaster off the air.
Private television channels continued with a news blackout begun on Wednesday while newspaper staff members walked off the job, too, leaving Greeks to depend on blogs and online social networks for updates on developments. Private television channels continued a news blackout begun on Wednesday, and newspaper employees walked off the job, leaving many Greeks to turn to blogs and social networks for news updates. Some dismissed employees of the closed state broadcaster, known as ERT for its initials in Greek, continued to produce news programs that were distributed through satellite channels.
Though criticized for overspending and, like many European state broadcasters, for compromised independence, ERT was widely valued for its in-depth news coverage, documentaries and cultural programs. Until the government sets up a new, leaner replacement — which officials said should happen during the summer — Greeks must rely on the many private channels that operate around the country. Most of them are owned by wealthy entrepreneurs who are widely believed to influence news decisions in line with their political beliefs. Though ERT was often criticized for overspending and for lacking independence, it was widely valued in Greece for its in-depth news coverage, documentaries and cultural programs. The government has said it will set up a leaner replacement company, probably over the summer; until then, Greek viewers are left with six privately owned national channels and a host of local stations whose offerings vary widely in quality and whose news coverage is assumed to be influenced by the views of their owners. The national channels typically offer an assortment of news, talk shows, cooking programs and films.
Six channels provide nationwide coverage and 13 others cover Athens, with more than 150 provincial stations. The quality of their fare varies, though most national channels offer a mix of news coverage, talk shows, cooking programs and films. The country’s two main labor unions represent about 2.5 million workers and have historically been very powerful, though their influence has waned somewhat as many Greeks have been worn down by three years of job losses and wage and pension cuts. The unions condemned “unprecedented and provocative” initiatives by the authorities, including the shutdown of ERT.
People also tuned in to online video channels and social networks like Twitter and Facebook for updates on reaction and followed coverage by dismissed ERT workers who continued to operate an underground broadcast of Greek news through satellite streams. The civil servants’ union, known as Adedy, accused the government of “methodically and autocratically annihilating the rights of workers and citizens, one by one, for a long time now,” and said that the government’s only aim was to satisfy the demands of Greece’s three main foreign lenders: the European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund.
The country’s two main labor unions, which represent some 2.5 million workers but have seen their influence wane in recent months among Greeks worn down by three years of wage and pension cuts, called on workers to join them in condemning an “unprecedented and provocative” initiative by the authorities. Envoys from the lenders, known collectively as the troika, did not comment on the ERT shutdown. On Wednesday, the European economic and monetary affairs commissioner, Olli Rehn, said there had been no pressure from Brussels for Athens to close its state broadcaster.
The civil servants’ union, known as Adedy, accused the government of “methodically and autocratically annihilating the rights of workers and citizens, one by one, for a long time now,” noting that its only aim was to satisfy the demands of Greece’s three main foreign lenders: the European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund.
Envoys from the lenders, knows collectively as the troika, did not comment on the ERT shutdown. On Wednesday, the European economic and monetary affairs commissioner, Olli Rehn, said there had been no pressure from Brussels for Athens to close its state broadcaster.
“The commission has not sought the closure of ERT, but nor does the commission question the Greek government’s mandate to manage the public sector in Greece,” Mr. Rehn said.“The commission has not sought the closure of ERT, but nor does the commission question the Greek government’s mandate to manage the public sector in Greece,” Mr. Rehn said.
In an address to a business conference on Wednesday night, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras criticized labor unions for “striking every time something significant and positive happens.” He defended his decision to shut down ERT, saying that that the organization would soon be replaced with a new, more streamlined and more accountable broadcaster. In an address to a business conference on Wednesday night, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras criticized the labor unions for “striking every time something significant and positive happens.” He described ERT as “sinful” and “an emblem of lack of transparency and waste,” said the new state broadcaster would be based on “the most modern international prototypes,” and dismissed the protests as “the final spasms of a status quo of privileges, which is collapsing.”
Describing ERT as “sinful” and “an emblem of lack of transparency and waste,” he said the new state broadcaster would mimic “the most modern international prototypes.” The two junior political parties in the governing coalition led by Mr. Samaras’s New Democracy party have also objected to to the closing of ERT and have demanded talks with the prime minister on the issue. Officials of the two parties, Pasok and the Democratic Left, have said they were seeking a compromise and do not want to pull out of the coalition.
Referring to angry protests by ERT employees, he said, “What we are seeing today are the final spasms of a status quo of privileges which is collapsing.” The leader of the main opposition party, Syriza, accused the two junior coalition parties of pretending to condemn the closing of ERT while continuing to back Mr. Samaras because “they are even more afraid of early elections than New Democracy.”
But the two political parties with whom Mr. Samaras’s New Democracy party shares power in an increasingly uneasy coalition remained opposed to the closing of ERT and have demanded talks with the prime minister on the issue. The government spokesman, Simos Kedikoglou, said on Thursday that he believed the three governing parties would reach a deal when Parliament debates the creation of a successor to ERT, to be called New Hellenic Radio, Internet and Television, or Nerit.
Greek blogs and news Web sites, swirling with speculation about early elections, were reporting that a meeting of the leaders of the three coalition partners was expected on Monday. Officials of the Socialist party, Pasok, and the Democratic Left party have said they want to seek a compromise with Mr. Samaras, not pull out of the coalition.
The leader of the main leftist opposition party, Syriza, which opposes the terms of Greece’s foreign bailouts, accused the junior coalition partners of pretending to condemn the closing of the state broadcaster while continuing to support the dominant party because “they are even more afraid of early elections than New Democracy.”
“The signal of a state broadcaster is only cut when a country is under foreign occupation or when democracy is abolished in a coup,” the Syriza leader, Alexis Tsipras, told reporters outside ERT’s old headquarters on Thursday.
The government spokesman, Simos Kedikoglou, said on Thursday that he believed the coalition parties would arrive at an understanding during the forthcoming debate in Parliament on the formation of a new state broadcaster, to be named New Hellenic Radio, Internet and Television, or Nerit.
“The three coalition partners have had difficult moments, but we always manage to find a common language for the common goals,” he said.
The timing of the decision to close ERT was seen by analysts as an attempt by Mr. Samaras to show boldness and decisiveness. It came a day after troika inspectors returned to Athens for fresh talks on the country’s economic reform program, with firings in the civil service high on the agenda.
It also came a day after the big Russian energy company Gazprom failed to submit a bid to buy Greece’s state gas company, a deal that Athens had hoped was sealed after a series of meetings between Mr. Samaras and the Gazprom chief executive, Alexei B Miller.