Greek media hold 3 day strike over pension system reforms

Greek print and electronic media employees launched a three-day nationwide strike on Sunday against the planned pension system reform the government debates with the country's lenders in return of further bailout loans and debt relief.

Journalists joined other professionals from various sectors of the economy who continue their mobilizations as the government was scheduled to put the bill to vote in the parliament around May 10, according to Greek Finance Ministry sources.

The media strike called by the Panhellenic Federation of Journalists' Unions (POESY) affects the Greek national news agency ANA- MPA, the national television broadcaster ERT, as well as private electronic media, newspapers, magazines, news websites and press offices of state organizations.

The three-day strike mobilization comes after a first 48-hour strike held on April 14 to 15, leading to a near-blackout of news coverage.

On Wednesday POESY's board is due to meet to decide further action against the planned fresh round of cutbacks on social welfare and pension rights.

Under pressure from Greece's international lenders the Left-led government promoted a painful reform arguing that it was the only option to avoid the collapse of a debt-ridden unsustainable pension system.

The reform was one of the key thorny issues on the agenda of marathon talks between Athens and creditors since autumn during the ongoing first review of the Greek third bailout program which was sealed last summer.

Greek cabinet ministers have appeared optimistic that the two sides will conclude the assessment by Wednesday so that a Eurogroup meeting later this week can clear the release of the next bailout tranche to Greece, as well as the start of talks on debt relief.

However, as lenders have also requested lately additional harsh measures from Greece in order to give the "green light", labor unions across the country warned with a new round of strikes.

Critics of the planned reform claimed that the new measures were "unbearable" and will cause the suffocation of the average Greek household and enterprise after six years of recession.

Source: XINHUA