Public hospitals employees’ manifestations against redeployment measure

Doctors and public hospitals employees protest against redeployment measure after announcement that eight hospitals – of which five in Athens and three in Thessaloniki – are planned to change use. Greek Federation of Hospital Doctors has announced a 4-hour work stoppage for tomorrow Friday, from 11 am to 3 pm and a rally outside the Health ministry building. Civil servants redeployment measure should be implemented by September 15th. Consequently, patients in the aforementioned hospitals should be moved to other institutions by that time.

Asmussen: “New bailout package for Greece to be decided in 2014”

Official of the European Central Bank Joerg Asmussen, after his meeting with Greek Finance minister Yannis Stournaras, stated that the eventuality of Greece needing a new bailout package will be decided upon in spring 2014, after taking into consideration the existence or not of a primary surplus. Joerg Asmussen denied having already discussed a new bailout package for our country but asked for the reforms to be continued.

West Nile virus alert

Greek health services are in state of alert for the West Nile virus after the death of a Greek citizen. The victim was an elderly man with previous health problems, hospitalized for infection of the central nervous system. According to the Hellenic Center for Disease Control and Prevention data there are already 35 cases of infection with the majority occurring in Attika region.

Reactions to the public broadcaster transition stage intensify

Political opposition criticized the first live current affairs show broadcasted yesterday by public Television (DT). Representatives of four opposition parties, invited to ERT studios denounced the launch of an irregular and illegal broadcaster along with the eventuality of “black labour”.

Deputy Minister for public television, Pantelis Kapsis, speaking this morning on “Skai” TV channel, repeated his commitment that 2,000 people are to be recruited in the new broadcaster, provided that it will be broadcasting from ERT’s premises at Aghia Paraskevi. Mr. Kapsis stated that the new broadcaster has already hired 50 people and called for ERT employees to cease the occupation, given that it only serves political goals.

In response to this, ERT employees noted that they work on a 24-hour basis to produce an informative programme and have not expressed any political affinities.  

Petition on avaaz.org supporting ERT signed by thousands

Meanwhile, thousands of people have already signed the petition on avaaz.org asking EBU to restore ERT live streaming, thus expressing their support to ERT employees producing a full programme transmitted to the whole world via the web.

The broadcaster’s employees point out that millions of people will still be able to watch or listen to ERT’s programme through ertopen.com, thepressproject.gr and many more distribution sites, as they have already been doing for the last 72 days.