Greece hit by general strike after TV and radio switch-off splits coalition
The protest by Greece’s two largest unions disrupted public transport and left state hospitals running on skeleton staff, while flights were to grounded for two hours yesterday afternoon.
Conservative prime minister Antonis Samaras has insisted the Hellenic Broadcasting Corp, ERT, will remain closed and all 2,600 staff will be made redundant before a new public broadcaster opens at the end of the summer.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdBut his centre-left coalition partners have submitted legislation to parliament to cancel ERT’s closure.
The executive order to close ERT must be ratified by parliament within three months but cannot be approved without backing from the minority coalition lawmakers.
The Swiss-based European Broadcasting Union, representing Europe’s public TV channels, began streaming online broadcasts by fired ERT staff who were occupying the building’s headquarters for a third day.
Thousands of protesters gathered outside the company’s headquarters north of Athens on Wedenesday as journalists defied the order and continued a live internet broadcast.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThe civil servants’ union ADEDY and the larger GSEE union launched the nationwide strike.
Journalist unions also launched rolling 24-hour strikes, halting private television news programmes.
A government spokesman said: “When you restructure something from the foundations, you have to close it, temporarily.”
The surprise closure of ERT is one of the biggest crises to afflict the three-party coalition government since it was formed nearly a year ago.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdDespite tensions over a number of issues, notably related to the austerity measures demanded by Greece’s international creditors, the coalition government has surprised many by surviving. It has also been credited with stabilising the bailed economy and easing the threat of an exit from the euro.