Greek Federation of Journalists’ Unions POESY decided to extend τhe strike until Wednesday morning, April 27th 2016, where it will decide whether it will give the strike another extension. The strike aims to protest the changes in the pensions and social insurance funds reforms that will merge the professional pension fund EDOEAP and will scrap the “aggeliosimo“, a so-called “social contribution fee” of 16%-20% paid for every advertisement on the mass media that goes to the journalists’ funds.
The strike affects all print and broadcast mass media: newspapers, magazines, radio, television, websites of the public and private sector as well as the state-owned news-agency ANA-MPA, state broadcaster ERT, press offices.
POESY started a 48-hour strike on Friday and the extension came after the government submitted the pensions reform to the Parliament. On Wednesday, POESY will decide whether to give the strike another extension.
As journalists unions do not accept as members reporters at websites, the Greek internet keeps reporting although in limited edition due to the Athens News Agency strike but also due to shortage of qualified personnel and lack of means.
When insured as employees or free lancers, reporters working at websites are members either members of Greek private sector insurer IKA (employees) or of OAEE (freelancers). Exempted are those working for mainstream mass media groups as their main work is on newspapers and electronic media. Therefore, website workers refuse to participate on strikes and are brand-marked by unionists as “strike breakers”
The strike extension started at 6:00 am Sunday, April 24th, and will last until 6:00 am April 27th, 2016. POESY allows only a 15-minute “strike news bulletin” to be broadcast by radios and television stations and during this time also websites can update their content.
Given the turbulent times of the Greek – lenders Review talks and the IMF’s extra contingency measures, some “rumors” claim that the strike serves the government that tries to pass a €9-billion measures package through the Parliament.
PS But those claiming this, forget that we still got the internet…:)
