Mobilizations by the employees in “Avgi” so that the newspaper does not close – They ask for a meeting with Tsipras

The employees of the historical newspaper “Avgi” request a meeting with the president of SYRIZA Alexis Tsipras, who at the same time are mobilizing at a time when the consolidation plans have actually sunk and the daily sheet of the newspaper is in immediate danger of being suspended. The resigned director of Avgi, Angelos Tsekeris, has already admitted that there are no resources to ensure the viability of the daily edition.

At their general meeting, the employees of Avgi unanimously decided the following, as made public through ESIEA:

In one of the most massive assemblies of recent years and in a very charged atmosphere for the critical historical moment that the newspaper is experiencing, the general assembly of the employees of AVGIS decided unanimously with 49 votes in favor of the following:

We declare unequivocally opposed to any plan for the closure of the daily newspaper of AVGIS and the dissolution of the historical newspaper of the left and the place, which this year marks the 70th anniversary of its birth.

We declare in every direction that after 7 decades of uninterrupted daily battle for information, which was overthrown only by the regime of the colonels, the employees of AVGIS are still here and we will fight to keep its daily and Sunday edition open, we will fight for our jobs and our rights.

We denounce as unacceptable and cynical the attitude of the Administration, which while still not officially informing us about the plan to destroy AVGIS, has already started to implement a plan to close the daily sheet and lose an unknown number of jobs, intensifying the uncertainty and the insecurity after the completion of the voluntary exit program, which we had denounced from the first moment as a bomb in the foundations of the organization. In this climate, we were informed about the resignation of the director of the newspaper A. Tsekeris, as a result of which he remains headless today.

But the bankruptcy of the newspaper and the devaluation of its journalistic position have faces and addresses, and certainly these faces are not those of the employees, who for many years we have put our backs on rescuing the newspaper. From 2014 until today, the salaries of AVGIS have been cut by 1/3 and the jobs, mainly from departures, have been reduced by 1/4, at the same time that there are current debts of 600,000 euros to the employees from accruals of previous years

We highlight once again the obvious oxymoron fact that those in charge refer to the difficult financial situation of the organization for many years, in order to justify both the volunteerism and the upcoming padlock, at a time when in the last year and a half they have increased expenses and hired executives. high wages. In addition, they have not made any report on what they have achieved in terms of advertising revenues, subscriptions and uncollected debts to the newspaper, while the submission of a comprehensive journalistic and financial plan remains pending.

We reiterate our dissatisfaction with the unsatisfactory answers to the meetings of the previous period with the general secretary of SYRIZA, who as a representative of the main shareholder did not commit to the continuation of the daily paper the next day of the voluntary exit program.

For this reason, we request a re-meeting this time with the President and former Prime Minister Al. Tsipras, in order to receive clear answers in relation to the dissolution of the newspaper, which has already begun to be implemented by the Administration.

At the same time, we appeal to the readers and friends of AVGI, to the world of the left, to society, to our colleagues in the media industry, to the workers and the unions of other sectors, in order to support our struggle for work and dignity, which we are starting.

In this context, we decided on a series of moves, which include, among other things, posting banners in parts of the city against the closing of DAWN, information spots with all these people, workers, fired, struggling, immigrants, excluded, that the newspaper has given us voice over the years, sending a resolution to federations and unions with which we will ask for their solidarity in defense of our jobs and rights, as well as a text of a collection of signatures with a request not to close the daily sheet of AVGI.

At the same time, we decided to organize protest rallies in Koumoundourou Square at the offices of the collective owner, as well as at the newspaper’s offices in Karaiskaki Square, while on Thursday 13/11 we call a new assembly of workers to plan escalating strikes.

The moments are critical and difficult, but we will fight against the closing of the daily newspaper of AVGI, with the compass of our collective strength, solidarity and determination that gives us the belief that we are on the right side of history. On the side of history where the “burning words” will always be, as Costas Varnalis titled his daily vignettes in AVGI.

Follow Skai.gr on Google News
and be the first to know all the news