Troika demands Greeks leave without public television - TV teleSUR

Greek government temporarily closed state television ERT to downsize public institutions as part of economic cuts imposed by the Executive and demanded by the troika, in exchange for a bailout by more than eight billion euros (10 billion 570 million dollars) to the crisis in that country since 2007.

“At a time when the Greeks endure sacrifices, no time to delay, hesitate or tolerate sacred cows” said Greek government spokesman, Simos Kedikoglou, in a statement televised public broadcaster.

ERT The three channels and radio services were turned off after midnight and “be re-launched at a future date and as a smaller organization, “said Kedikoglou.

also said that the two thousand 650 employees, now have been on the street, will have the opportunity to seek employment in the new entity, and that Applications will be reviewed following their “objective” criteria.

According to the spokesman, the new public body will be completely independent and ERT said that he had in itself little time to live, not as close to the Government, would have succumbed in a few months’ continuous strikes. “

The draft law for the creation of the new body, released Wednesday, states that the new television will be called” New Radio, Internet and Television, SA ” (Neritan-SA) and will be a public company regulated by the state, with administrative and financial autonomy.

According to the national press, closing state television “has been a sudden death” by government order , “the beginning of a black future” because international lenders want 15 thousand public workers less by the end of next year.

“As a Greek I’m insulted. This is the straw that breaks the camel. I’m sick of what they are doing to my country. “Said Nikoleta Sapola, a psychologist who came out this Tuesday night to protest in the street.

After this decision, private sector unions, Confederation General Greek Workers (GSEE) and public, Confederation of Public Employees Trade Unions (ADEDY), called a 24-hour general strike for Thursday and a demonstration outside the headquarters of ERT in Athens (capital) to protest against closure .

The two unions, which they called “coup” the government’s decision to close the ERT, denounced in a statement on Wednesday, “the government’s persistence in extreme undemocratic decision”. Officials, journalists and seamen also be on strike, according to their respective unions.

ERT was 75 years of history and consisted of three television channels, six spokes and nearly 20 local stations.

In August 2007, the Greek crisis began after the economic downturn in the United States, prompting the European country to issue a public debt that forced the Greek government to make cuts in the public sector to finance, it that generated countless manifestations of the Greeks from the onset of depression.

In 2010, he received his first international bailout package by the troika formed by the European Commission (EC), European Central Bank (ECB) and International Monetary Fund (IMF), for a total of 110 billion euros (145 billion dollars).

So far, Greece received 120 billion euros (more than 154 billion 200 million dollars) of financial assistance, a total of 144 000 600 000 000 (almost 186 billion dollars) which granted the troika.