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UNI Global Union and its media, entertainment and arts sector welcomes the plans of the Greek government to reform the country’s media and to reinstate ERT and the unconstitutionally dismissed public service broadcasting workers. UNI MEI is in support of the government’s vision of a holistic reform and regulatory approach, which aims at building a media ecosystem based on pluralism, diversity, universal access and on a commitment to a dual system of commercial and independent public service broadcasting. This is a policy approach the EU Institutions and stakeholders should welcome, embrace and support.

The workers of ERTopen, POSPERT and the media unions, after the Samaras coup against ERT on 11 June 2013 and for the next 20 months kept ERT broadcasting signal alive, all over Greece until today. ERT is open and we demand the cancelation of all Samaras’ decisions regarding ERT. We also demand its indicative running, as before 11 June 2013, with all its programs and frequencies.

The workers of ERTopen and their unions deserves credit and our thanks. They have upheld the value of media democracy and public service broadcasting after the coup against public service broadcasting by the Samaras government.

UNI Global Union General Secretary Philip Jennings said, “The announcement Prime Minister Tsipras made last Sunday implies that ERT will regain its rightful place as Greece’s national broadcaster on the basis of a legislative process that is now being put in place. UNI Global Union applauds the courage of the Greek government in doing the right thing and underlines the need to involve all stakeholders throughout this process including the trade unions and ERT workers.”

The vision and values of ERT workers and their unions need to be an integral part of a sustainable, independent public service broadcaster in a reformed audio-visual media landscape, “said UNI MEI President Gerry Morrissey.

“We are proud to have among our affiliates our Greek member organisation POSPERT”, said William Maunier, the media sector’s European President. “Our colleagues, led by President Panagiotis Kalfagiannis and General Secretary Gabriel Kasimatis have never let the Troika, the Samaras government and the fading away of support after the initial enthusiasm for ERT destroy the hope and belief that ERTopen is the right answer to the caricature of public service broadcasting that Samaras set-up in 2013.

“We will continue to support the campaign of POSPERT and all colleagues at ERTopen for a truely independent, sustainable public service broadcaster which gives universal and affordable access to all citizens to quality and diverse programming. ERT belongs to the people!”

UNI Europa Regional Secretary, Oliver Roethig said “Beyond this important milestone for media democracy set by the Greek government this week, there is a message of hope emerging from Athens. A constructive effort is being undertaken to rebuild social dialogue and collective bargaining to include citizens in the economy and the welfare system. This is a signal to the EU that UNI Europa strongly echoes: austerity and the Troika are killers of democracy, growth and social cohesion, and investment in people and inclusive policies based on a strong social dialogue will bring about a fair Internal Market”.