Greece’s highest court, the Council of State, will decide on Jun 17 whether to overturn the decision by Prime Minister Antonis Samaras to shut down the national broadcaster ERT and fire all 2,656 workers, although he said a slimmed-down version with less than half the staff will be resurrected by the end of August.
The nationwide federation of television and radio personnel, POSPERT, made an application to have the court hear their objections to the move, which stunned Greeks although the government has been under orders from international lenders to shed 25,000 jobs by the end of next year, including 2,500 by the end of June, which Samaras accomplished at one fell swoop.
The Council of State will decide on Monday whether it will accept the government decision to shut down ERT, after the nationwide federation of television and radio personnel (POSPERT) made the relevant application.
POSPERT argued the decision was unlawful because it was done by decree and without the signature of the relevant Minister of Administrative Reform Antonis Manitakis. The justification for ERT’s closure that it ‘burdened the budget’ was also vague, since it does not further elaborate or provide any evidence to support the claim, the union stated.
POSPERT also said that the government’s decision conflicts with the European Charter of Social Rights, which protects the freedom of expression and information that includes radio and television. It is also alleged that the government decision conflicts with the European Convention of Human Rights on similar grounds. Furthermore, Article 15 of the Greek Constitution details the operation of public radio and television.
Samaras said that ERT was wildly overstaffed, overpaid and mismanaged, although it was his New Democracy Conservatives and the rival PASOK Socialists were said to be responsible for packing the agency with their friends and political hires for generations in return for votes.
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