Greek Journalists' Strike: A Protest Against Social Security System Overhaul

ATHENS, Greece — Greek journalists have joined a 24-hour strike, protesting the government's plans to overhaul the social security system. The strike, which began on January 28, is part of a broader movement initiated by workers in the private and public sectors, as well as farmers, since January 8, 2016. The International and European Federations of Journalists in Greece (PFJU, JUADN, ESIEMTH, and ESPIT) held a protest rally and marched to the Greek Parliament, calling on the government to engage in dialogue with workers' organizations before implementing the overhaul.

The proposed plan aims to merge journalists' social security funds with those of other sectors, which could lead to a loss of autonomy and financial resources for the journalists' fund. The plan also includes reforms to redundancy protection for workers, which could have significant implications for journalists' employment and wages in the long term. The journalists' unions, including JUADN, have warned that the overhaul could lead to a deterioration in news information quality, negatively impact workers, and ruin social cohesion.

The journalists' unions have expressed concern that the plan will destroy the social insurance tissue of their funds, aiming to tear apart all guarantees safeguarding journalists' professional identity, collective work agreements, and the practice of the Code of Professional Ethics by workers. They have warned that the overhaul will lead to a reduction in wages and pensions for journalists and affect the employment situation in the long term.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) have expressed their solidarity with Greek colleagues, opposing the plan in its current form. The IFJ represents more than 600,000 journalists in 139 countries, while the EFJ represents 320,000 journalists in 41 European countries.

The Greek government's plans to overhaul the social security system have sparked concern among journalists and their unions. The proposed merger of journalists' social security funds with those of other sectors and the reform of redundancy protection for workers could have significant implications for journalists' employment and wages in the long term. The journalists' unions have called on the government to engage in dialogue with workers' organizations and ensure that the plan does not negatively impact news information quality, workers, and social cohesion. The IFJ and EFJ have expressed their solidarity with Greek colleagues, opposing the plan in its current form. As the situation unfolds, it will be crucial for the government to address the concerns of journalists and their unions to ensure a balanced and fair social security system overhaul.