Greek Finance Ministry called for the immediate evacuation of the headquarters of public broadcaster ERT under occupation by the fire personnel. In a statement issued on Friday afternoon, the Ministry announced a plan for the compensation of the dismissed 2,656 ERT personnel.
In a short statement, the Finance Ministry calls for the personnel to immediately evacuate the building so that the government “can directly implement the decision of the Council of State” and that “the finance ministry gets access to financial/human resources data so that it can calculates compensation for several groups of former employees.”
On Monday and Thursday the Council of State ordered the immediate restoration of all television channels and radio programs of shutdown ERT.
From the side of ERT personnel, the first reaction to Finance ministry’s call was “ERT-personnel union and the journalists’ union will take the relevant decisions and respond to the government.”
One hour later, the president of ERT-union PROSPERT said that they will stay in the building, as this plan of restoring broadcasting on temporary basis would annul workers’ rights on unemployment allowance, among others.
Alarmed from the perspective of a possible violent evacuation, ERT personnel has been calling on colleagues, unions and activists to ‘take position’ and be on alert. Greek social media are on alert on the issue.
OPEN ERT – Free voice for the society via @ErtSocial
ERT personnel has been occupying the building since 11. June 2013, the day prime minister Samaras order the sudden shutdown and blackened ERT television channels. With the help of EBU ERT broadcasts on a 24-hour basis since its closure.
After a national and international outcry, the government agreed to temporarily reopen Greece’s public broadcaster and re-hire some 2,000 personnel with short-term work contracts, until the new public broadcaster is set up.
The finance ministry has taken over the ERT management.
On the occasion of ERT, Samaras coalition government suffered a defeat with junior partner Democratic Left to have withdrawn its four ministers from the government on Friday. As of today, the Greek coalition government consists of Nea Dimocratia and PASOK – for one more time….
PS they won’t dare send riot police to ERT, would they?
They will definitely send the riot police, unfortunately. Maybe they will wait until some odd hour when few people are outside. It won’t be this evening because there will be a concert. But it could be at 3 a.m. or something. Alternatively, they might send some provacateurs to stir some trouble, and then send the police to “restore law and order”. It’s a very sad situation. I don’t see a way for ERT employees to win but I am surely rooting for them.
Just be glad that your military does not have drones with missiles.