Theatres to go on strike on Saturday, 27 December

The statement issued by the Panhellenic Federation of Spectacle and Audiovisual Workers regarding the strike on Saturday, 27 December, reads as follows:

“The Panhellenic Federation of Spectacle and Audiovisual Workers is calling a 24-hour strike in the independent theatre sector on Saturday, 27 December.

For the past 13 years, actors and theatre technicians have been attempting to conclude Collective Labour Agreements with the respective associations of theatre producers, without success.

On 5 December, the Greek Actors’ Union declared a strike aimed at exerting pressure for the signing of Collective Labour Agreements, as after more than a year of negotiations, the employers’ side has refused to engage in a sincere and good-faith dialogue toward the signing of such agreements, each time putting forward different pretexts to avoid an agreement.

In this climate, we call on actors, theatre technicians and workers to take part in the strike that has been declared for 27 December.

We wish to remind everyone that the right to strike is constitutionally protected. Replacement of striking workers in any form is not permitted, and the hiring of strikebreakers on the day of the strike is prohibited. We call on actors, technicians and theatre workers to participate in the strike without fear.

The strike concerns workers of all specialisations in the independent theatre sector (artists, technicians, contributors, front-of-house staff, etc.), with the exception of essential staff, namely the security guard, where applicable, for the safety of the facilities, the ticket cashier, as well as the theatre’s promotion and communications department, for the purpose of informing the public, provided they were scheduled to work that day according to the posted work schedule in the ERGANI information system.”