A domino effect of reactions inside and outside SYRIZA has been triggered in the last few hours by Stefanos Kasselakis’ sudden decision to suspend the publication of the daily edition of the historic newspaper “Avgi”. Party MPs, executives, and prominent figures from the Left, literature, and press have expressed strong opposition to this “sudden death” of the publication.

In response, the employees of the historic newspaper have launched repeated 24-hour strikes, describing the move by the SYRIZA leadership as a “political decision” and planning a new assembly for noon on Wednesday.

To raise public awareness, the employees prepared a strike edition late last night with the headline “The Voiceless Left”, even as they were preparing for the next day’s edition when the lockout was announced. It remains unclear whether the strike edition will be published, but the last front page is already circulating online.

The front page was posted on social media by one of the last directors of “Avgi”, Angelos Tsekeris.

The sudden closure of the newspaper is a political decision, say the employees

“Avgi” employees describe the decision to close the newspaper’s daily edition as a “sudden death”, demanding payment of accrued wages and guarantees for all jobs.

In their statement, they highlight that “the only other period the paper did not circulate was during the junta”, pointing out that the employees were informed by a management representative “without a financial report, data presentation, planning, or sustainability plan”.

“The decision to close, meaning the decision to silence the daily journalistic voice of the Left, is political. Avgi always had financial problems and always survived. The political leadership of the middle party of the Executive Bureau, a body of questionable legitimacy to make this decision, has carved the letters on the tombstone,” they write passionately.

Following these developments, the employees announced 24-hour repeated strikes starting Wednesday, June 26, with the central demand being to reverse the decision to close the daily edition.

They also call for safeguarding all jobs, payment of accrued wages amounting to 300,000 euros over the years, and an immediate meeting with party president Stefanos Kasselakis.

Finally, they urge the entire Left to support “the fight we are starting to overturn the decision to close Avgi”.

The announcement of the employees

Sudden “Death”

Today, Tuesday, June 25, 2024, at 4 pm at the offices of Avgi on Deligiorgi Street, suddenly and without any consultation, we were informed that the daily edition of the newspaper of the Left, published since 1952, will no longer be on newsstands. The only other time this happened was during the junta.

A fictional headline of a daily Avgi that will never be published again would write of a “sudden death based on the doctrine of SHOCK”

A representative of the administration cited the serious financial problems of the major SYRIZA shareholder as the reason for the closure of the daily edition, informing us that every effort will be made to absorb as many employees as possible on the newspaper’s website and the Sunday paper. No financial statement, data presentation, or planning or sustainability plan was provided.

The 20 minutes it took to inform the representative of the management cannot be compared to the 72 years of Avgi’s illustrious history.

The decision to close, meaning the decision to silence the daily journalistic voice of the Left, is political. Avgi always had financial problems and always survived. The political leadership of the middle party of the Executive Bureau, a body of questionable legitimacy to make this decision, has carved the letters on the tombstone.

Faced with this historical and political impasse, with a heavy awareness of our history, the workers have decided to announce 24-hour repeated strikes starting tomorrow, Wednesday, June 26, with the central demand being to reverse the decision to close the daily edition. We also demand the safeguarding of all jobs, payment of our accrued wages, which over the years amount to 300,000 euros, and an immediate meeting with party president Stefanos Kasselakis.