Media workers at Avgi were informed by the board of directors, at 4pm on 25 June, of the President of SYRIZA’s decision to close the daily newspaper the following day for “financial reasons”. It was argued that the closure would allow more resources to be spent on the Sunday edition and the website avgi.gr. A total of fifty journalists and around twenty media workers are affected by the decision.
The Boards of Directors of JUADN, together with the Athens Daily Newspaper Staff Union (EPEEA) and the Athens Daily and Periodical Press Technicians Union (ETIPTA), decided to call a 24-hour strike from 6am on 26 June to 6am on 27 June at the premises of the newspaper "Avgi" and of the website "avgi.gr".
Avgi was first published in August 1952 as the news outlet of the United Democratic Left, initially as a weekly newspaper and then as a daily newspaper. It is the first time in 72 years that the newspaper has been suspended.
"When we found out about the closure, it was a shock. We had no idea about the closure, it was planned without consulting or informing us. They did not give us any information about job guarantees for our future. All we want now is guarantees to secure jobs and the ability to do our work," said Nikos Morfonios, Avgi’s representative of the JUADN, to the EFJ. “According to us, the closure is clearly political. They want to silence the voice of the left wing,” added Morfonios.
"The leader of SYRIZA took an unprecedented decision for the historic newspaper without informing the media workers or the unions. Although they will keep the Sunday edition, the future of the historic newspaper and its workers is unknown," said Maria Antoniadou, the President of the Union of Journalists of Athens Daily Newspapers (JUADN).
JUADN pointed out that there had been similar attempts to close down the newspaper in the past, but that they had been thwarted.
According to Avgi, the newspaper's board of directors also legally recognised, in 2017, a debt of 800,000 euros to media workers for salaries that have not been paid in full over the past 15 years. Nikos Morfonios explained that the amount had increased by 300,000 euros since 2017. The media workers declared they will go on strike every day until at least Friday 28 June.
“Such an interruption of the daily edition of the historic publication, without due respect for labour rights, is a blatant attack on workers at Avgi and represents worrying concerns for media pluralism. We call on the leadership of SYRIZA to reconsider its position, to consult with the unions and the workers in a transparent way and to guarantee the respect of their labour rights, including its commitment to debt repayment,” stated the IFJ-EFJ.