Radio and TV Union Action Not to Affect ERR Services
The union of radio and television technicians is supporting the teachers' strike and will hold a three-hour solidarity action tomorrow from 11:00 to 14:00.
Approximately 60 union members among ERR technical staff are expected to participate in Wednesday's action, joining a teachers' rally on Tallinn's Freedom Square.
The union said it also plans to air a row of text three times during the evening news on ETV, expressing support for the strike, and do the same on the ERR online news site and Estonian Radio's RDS system.
Hanno Tomberg, member of the board of ERR, said the board received assurances from the union trustee, Eno Pertmann, that the airing of programming services would not be affected. Tomberg said it was unacceptable to air union content on ERR.
"The board and editors in chief of programming services are responsible for independence and balance of the programming, which is why the union cannot decide to transmit messages in support of the teachers strike on ERR programming. ERR's good practice standards states that ERR employees, especially journalists, must in their professional activity avoid anything that could create justified doubt in ERR's neutrality," said Tomberg.
Kristopher Rikken