ATHENS: Journalists, producers and technical staff at Greece’s newspapers, radio stations and TV channels walked off the job on Tuesday ahead of a fresh general strike called by umbrella unions for Wednesday to protest against massive layoffs and austerity measures.

Protesters gathered in central Athens outside the Athens Daily Newspaper Journalists’ Union (ESIEA) headquarters and marched to the parliament, as media remained shut down for 24 hours leaving Greece in a news blackout.

Strikers demand the signing of new collective labor agreements and an increase to the unemployment allowance among other requests.

The ongoing debt crisis which started in 2009 in Greece has hit hard Greek media as most sectors of Greece’s economy.

The two main trade unions of private and public sector workers General Confederation of Greek Workers GSEE and the Civil Servants’ Confederation ADEDY have called for a new nationwide general strike on April 9, which is expected to disrupt public services and transport.  

(XINHUA)