Greece hit by general strike after TV and radio switch-off splits coalition

Unions in Greece are holding a general strike following the closure of state-run TV and radio which has divided the government 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.

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But 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.

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The 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.

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Despite 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.

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