What follows is an account of the protest outside the Acropolis Museum (21st November 2014), the venue of choice for Arianna Huffington to launch Huffington Post Greece. Our open assembly (Assembly of workers and students in the Media Industry) was there to remind everyone οf the appaling working conditions in the Greek -especially the electronic-media.
Unpaid and excessive working hours, uninsured labour, no collective wage agreement, no labour rights. Huffington Greece seems to be no stranger to these practices. Recently, we came across reliable information which suggested a highly problematic working enviroment. Reports seem to indicate that Huffington Greece makes the people who work at their website sign a five-day working week contract, while in fact they will be working six days a week. Salary includes working weekends and extra time without any extra compensation.
Finally, the journos in Huffington Post are not getting the journalists’ insurance package but are registered as office clerks instead. These are standard practices for media bosses in Greece, who would rather have their employees heavily overworked, seriously underpaid and, of course, ununionized (sic).
Hopefully, in the following days we will be able to translate our brochure which was distributed during the protest.
Solidarity to all
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Huffington Post-Greek edition launch/ Protest ended
The protest organized by the Assembly of media workers at the Acropolis Museum, where the presentation of Huffington Post-Greece was taking place, came to its end. The text in Greek which was passed out can be found here. Despite continuous harassment by security guards of both the Museum and the event, the members of the Assembly of media workers stayed put, passing out leaflets and informing people about labour conditions in the ‘Made in USA’ Huffington Post, as well as in other internet websites, where journalists are expected to work like galley slaves.
But harassment wasn’t limited to the use of wannabe cops. The Huffington Post people, demonstrating exactly how American technical skills can be put to use by the employers, gave instructions to the people who work for the website to stand right in front of the Assembly’s banner in order to diligently hide it, so as to prevent the protest from being visible. Arianna Huffington seems to have adjusted all too quickly to the ways of the media trade, copying practices by domestic bosses, who, in every strike or mobilization, attempt to eliminate all voices which oppose exploitation, either through terrorizing or by using those willing to assist them.
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Workers’ protest at Huffington Post launch
A protest by the Assembly of media workers during the launch of Huffington Post-Greek edition, at the Acropolis Museum, is taking place right now, as a lot has been said about the new, much advertised media business project and the big names that fund it, but nothing whatsoever about the work conditions of those who will work there. Another attempt is being made to cover up the precarious conditions of those working in most websites behind a glamorous facade, with the presence of many high-profile people and of course, under strict policing.