IN SUPPORT OF THE STRUGGLE FOR A FREE, DEMOCRATIC AND PUBLIC RADIO AND TELEVISION BROADCASTING SERVICE IN GREECE; AGAINST BRUTAL SUPPRESSION OF ALL WORKERS' STRUGGLES: AUTHORITARIANISM HAS NO PLACE IN EUROPE!

On June the 10th the Greek government decided to shut down the Public Radio and Television Broadcast (ERT), allegedly to “reform and restructure” it, by cutting the 2/3 of the 2650 working places, while keeping the rest 1/3 with minimized working relations in a new broadcasting service (NERIT) which would be launched in autumn 2013. This measure is in complete correlation to the neoliberal and troika policies, which aim to minimize the public sector in general, reduce its budget, degrade its services and destroy the fixed working relations, that are based on collective agreements and labor law.

The reaction of the workers in ERT was instant and militant. For 3 weeks now, the main building in Athens and many other buildings and infrastructure belonging to ERT, are under occupation.

• We express our solidarity to the struggle of the workers in ERT for their jobs and working relations as well as for preserving the social character of the public broadcasting service. Moreover, we support their big effort to keep the public radio and television running, although the government has cut off the transmission frequencies across the country.
  
  
• We condemn the fact, that a public broadcasting service is being shut down in a european country. Such authoritarian measures have never been imposed, not even by military regimes, and they certainly put a challenge on our common european democratic framework.
  
  
• We salute the massive solidarity movement, which has evolved, from trade unions, political organizations, social movements and citizens, who not only support the struggle of the workers in ERT, but also fight for democracy and the right for a free, democratic and public broadcasting service.
  
  
• We are very concerned about the increasing suppression of workers' struggles, especially in Greece. It is completely unacceptable, that workers on strike are forced back to work by military law (eg seafarers, public transport workers, teachers).
  
  
• We unite our struggle against the neoliberal and austerity policies, the degradation of the working relations across Europe, the increasing authoritarianism which is a threat to our common european democratic framework, the rise of fascism and racism.