Journalists from “Antena C” will go on strike if Municipal Council does not accept negotiations

The journalists from radio “Antena C” sent a petition to the interim mayor Vasile Ursu and to the Chisinau Municipal Council that includes demands to overcome the collective work conflict. The deputy manager of “Antena C”, Ectaerina Mitin-Stratan said at a press conference on December 18 that she requests the institution of a moratorium as concerns the reorganisation of the enterprise for a period of at least 6 months, suspending the action of the decision of CMC on the reorganisation of the municipal broadcast institutions “Antena C” and “Euro TV” as a well as of those on the investment contest. At the same time, the employees solicit the reappointment of Vasile State as director, and also liquidating all the obstacles imposed in the activity of the radio station and interference in the editorial policy of the station during the moratorium, and keeping the staff. The staff of the radio station proposed 5 persons as members of the conciliation commission, and in case the proposal on the beginning of the negotiations will not be accepted, the journalists from “Antena C” will organise protest actions, including a strike. The journalists will wait 24 hours for the answer. At the same time, until the conflict with the founder (CMC) is settled, the members of the staff, who organised a sit-down strike created a conciliation commission and sent a list of requests to the interim director Veaceslav Satnic. They ask him not to interfere in the editorial policy and not to correct the texts before the transmission and to let the creators of the show select their guests without being necessary to discuss beforehand with Satnic. They also request that all the discussions of the staff with the employee be organised together with the legal consultant of “Antena C”. On Monday morning, Antena C resumed its transmission only on the frequency of Chisinau. The interim director Veaceslav Satnic said that he undertakes all the necessary measures to resume the broadcasting. At the same time, despite the fact that the director Vasile State was dismissed and the security did not allow him to enter in the building of the radio station he was called on Monday, at 11.00 by the management of the “Radiocomunicatii” company and was announced: “Mr Director, the wire broadcast in the network of Chisinau was resumed”. According to State, the fact that he was dismissed but is still called shows that “in this case when the authorities lost control over the situation they do not understand what they are doing”.