Employees of Avgi were waiting for Stefanos Kasselakis outside Koumoundourou, where the SYRIZA Political Secretariat was meeting. They expressed their displeasure at the decision to cease the daily publication of Avgi.
The employees told Mr. Kasselakis, “You decided without meeting us. A decision was made in our absence, and we are very unhappy.” In response, the SYRIZA president acknowledged his mistake, saying “mea culpa” for not meeting with them before announcing the decision, but he also insisted, “We don’t have the money to pay for the printing of the daily paper Aygi.”
Closure
“You decided without meeting us. A decision was made in our absence, and we are very unhappy. The first message you received when you were elected was from the employee representative to meet us. Instead, we were informed in this way that Avgi is closing,” said the employees of Avgi to the president of SYRIZA.
“No one has been fired, and Koumoundourou has not been paid. I did my part as best I could, and I have urged others to do the same,” Mr. Kasselakis responded, explaining that “the suspension of the printing of the daily newspaper does not mean that no one will be fired.”
He claimed that “the closure is against me too,” adding that “if there are resources to continue the daily paper, let’s discuss it. From there, we will see the status of each employee.”
The president of SYRIZA also countered the accusation that he was responsible for closing Avgi, saying, “I’m not closing it.” He asked his interlocutor from the workers, “Do you think that mentally I am not with you?” to which the worker replied, “I doubt it.”
“Right now, we don’t have the money to print the daily paper. I’m here to find solutions. Mea culpa if we didn’t have a discussion before; I have discussed it with the management,” added Mr. Kasselakis.
After the on-camera discussion, it was announced that the president of SYRIZA would meet with Avgi workers at 2 in the afternoon.
“Employees Will Not Stop, the Newspaper Has a History”
Earlier, Avgi employees, who are planning a rally outside the hotel where the SYRIZA Central Committee will meet on Saturday, also spoke with Manolis Kapnisakis, the director of Stefanos Kasselakis’ office. They greeted members of the Political Secretariat with the slogan “The workers don’t stop, the newspaper has a history.”
