Greek journalists called a four day strike on Thursday in protest at the government's austerity measures, leading to a nationwide news blackout, according to Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA). Television channels aired pre-recorded material, radio stations played back-to-back music and newspapers will not be published until Tuesday. Even news sites shut down for the walkout.
The Athens journalists' union is demanding the rehiring of journalists recently laid off at several newspapers and TV stations and the cancellation of individual employee agreements that supercede previous collective agreements with the union, resulting in deep pay cuts. Unions have held months of strikes and demonstrations since the government unveiled austerity measures to battle its budget deficit crisis. The financial crisis gripping Greece has also hit the media sector hard with the shut-down of several newspapers.
The socialist government has cut pensions and salaries, increased taxes and raised retirement ages as part of the conditions set out under an international bailout. The European Union and the International Monetary Fund set up a 110-billion-euro (140-billion-dollar) bailout package in exchange for the wide-reaching reforms.
