550 redundant media workers who have lost their jobs in Greece will receive EU aid worth €2.3 million to help them back into employment.
The redundancies, stemming from three publishing enterprises, all occurred in the Attica region of Greece, which accounts for 35 per cent of the country’s total unemployment and 36 per cent of long term unemployment. 15 per cent of the redundant media workers are over 55, which can be a hindrance to re-entering employment; and 42 per cent are women.
The funding will be allocated by the European Global Adjustment Fund, an EU initiative which co-finances bespoke services providing advice, support and financial aid to EU workers who have lost their jobs as a result of the “major structural changes in world trade patterns due to globalisation”. The fund has an annual ceiling of €150 million.
Recipients will benefit from measures costing €3.8 million – €2.3 million of which will come from the European Global Adjustment Fund – providing the redundant media workers with occupational guidance; retraining and vocational training; specific advice and financial contributions towards entrepreneurship and business startups; and financial aid where it is deemed necessary.
Daily and periodical sales have fallen heavily in Greece, with newspaper sales dropping from 114 million copies per day to 57 million between 2011 and 2017. In the same period magazine sales fell from 60 million to 23 million copies. Greek authorities attribute the decline to the global financial crisis, which hit the Greek economy badly and from which it is still recovering; and to the ongoing digital takeover of the publishing world, which has had a substantial effect on print journalism as more publications move online.
The aid package for the redundant media workers will be passed to the European Parliament for approval on November 29, after which the European Council will make a final decision.
