STRIKING TV NEWS STAFF PROTEST OUTSIDE PARLIAMENT

SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Wednesday April 14 2010

CANARIAN TV workers protested outside the regional parliament on Wednesday on the second day of their strike over pay.

By JAMES TWEEDIE

Some 288 staff at Videoreport Canarias – which produces regional government broadcaster RTVC's news programming – are on strike over management's imposition of a wage freeze which will see their earnings lag behind inflation.

Dozens of strikers gathered outside the parliament building in the centre of the capital Santa Cruz, raising a deafening din and booing regional president Paulino Rivero as he emerged and hurried into his chauffeur-driven BMW.

The company, which has an €18 billion annual budget from the government, claims that the wage cut is necessary to guarantee jobs in the face of La Crisis.

But one staff representative, who did not wish to be named, said: “They are trying to use the crisis as an excuse for cutting our wages.

“But they don't have a crisis – they have a massive guaranteed public budget.”

He stressed: “We are not asking for more money, just to maintain our position. Our salary is very low, and now they want to reduce it just to make a higher profit.”

Videoreport employees will return to work on Thursday but further 48-hour strikes are planned for April 20-21 and 27-28, followed by an indefinite strike from May 4.

The the Workers' Commissions (CCOO) and Canarian Union of Communication Professionals (UPCC) trade unions have said that they will suspend the strikes if the firm re-opens negotiations, but management have so far refused to do so.

“The attitude of the company is really arrogant,” said the union representative. “They don't even want to negotiate. They have pushed us onto the streets.”

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