UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis has condemned this week’s decision by the Greek government to shut down the country’s public broadcasting organisation, ERT.
Three television stations, radio and regional radio stations, satellite and internet systems – which together employ approximately 2,700 people – have been affected.
The government said the move was an essential measure to help it meet its debt bailout obligations.
It called ERT a “haven of waste” and said it would re-launch it as a smaller, independent public broadcaster.
But The European Broadcasting Union has accused the government of being “undemocratic” and “unprofessional.”
And Mr Prentis said: “That this decision was taken without democratic debate in the Greek parliament is of great public concern, because Greece needs a reliable news source given the economic situation and rise of dangerous far-right groups.
“UNISON sends its support and solidarity to all the journalists and other staff who have been treated in this disgraceful way and calls on the Greek government to reverse this damaging decision.”