The building of the national TV and radio in Athens was under siege until 16 o'clock in the afternoon. A group of employees of the state media, representatives of the workers with fixed-term labor contract blocked all exits of the building in 7.30 this morning. The reason for the boycott is that today the term of their employment contracts expires and starting from tomorrow, these people remain unemployed. The total number of these employees is around 700 people, which includes technical specialists, organizers and journalists.
"The employees on fixed-term contract may not be signed up for the employement bureaus as well as they do not receive compensation upon completion of the contract. We are working people with a monthly salary of between 700 to 1000 euro without the right to annual leave, overtime pay or pension contributions," read the petition of the protesting employees.
The appointments made under this type of contracts are in accordance with an old law, which sought to reduce unemployment at the expense of labor rights of employees. At the time, clearly the syndicates from the Union of Greek Civil Servants (ADEDY) and the General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE), which today are trying to protect the radio and television employees have not opposed zest the strange law with the same. Otherwise what other explanation can be found for the obvious violations of basic labor rights in this case. Involved in the protest proved to be also the permanent staff of the national radio and television, who did oppose the ban on entry and exit from the building and joined the living barricade around the main building.
After assuming the power the new government of George Papandreou revoked the old law and terminated the legal appointment of people in the private and public sector without the right on insurance and annual leave. On the other hand it is no secret to anyone anymore that the National Television ERT has maintained for years an outrageously padded budget and hundreds of thousands of euros per month have been allocated for the creation of not so popular shows. And once the new government began to purge of over expensive productions and journalists who ask for fabulous ammounts, came also the term of the small fish – the fixed-term contract employees.
We can not omit to say that this is one way of cutting staff and costs of a company which at least is completely lawful. In none of these contracts is written that after the expiry of the term of legal-labor relationship, the employer is obliged to appoint an officer again. After the national media a similar fate expects also the employees with fixed term contracts with no rights in other state enterprises such as the Public Power Company, public hospitals and municipal companies and others. Although at this stage it is over with the legal lawlessness in which people can work without the right to security and service, the biggest problem with the unemployment still remains. 9146
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