The employees’ union of the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CyBC) has strongly condemned the poor state of the facilities that house both staff and technical equipment.
In a statement, the union, EURIK, said that during a brief rain shower on Monday afternoon, water leaked in more than 15 places, including near electrical installations, production studios, editing rooms, and radio production areas.
EURIK described the state of the public broadcaster’s facilities as “deplorable” and expressed concern about the danger posed by the combination of electrical equipment and water.
The union noted that a similar incident had occurred in the past and that photos sent to the media for publication had also been sent to CyBC management in the past to highlight the shortcomings of the ageing building.
Although there had been positive reactions, the union said, these had been met with the excuse of a lack of funds.
“Following a recent court decision that deemed the premises to be unhealthy and unsuitable, CyBC staff have come to understand that they must demand better working conditions for all of us, as well as for the people who come to us as guests,” the statement said.
“The CyBC Board and Management must set priorities and now vigorously pursue the construction of new facilities that will provide healthy and decent working conditions and house a modern broadcasting service that we owe to the Cypriot public.”
EURIK said that as employees, they intended to “dynamically demand” the necessary financial impetus from both their employer and the state to move this project forward.
“The planning of the new building has been going on for years,” the statement said. “While the necessary planning permission has been granted, as we have been told, and a recent agreement has been reached for the transfer of an outstanding amount of millions that was owed to CyBC employees and pensioners, to proceed with the construction of the new building, no one from the state, and perhaps even from CyBC, has ranked it high on their list of priorities.”
“Our goal is the implementation of this constantly neglected project, once the financial timetable for this necessary and ambitious transition has been specified.”
“We, the younger generation of CyBC employees, recognising the negative image that society may have formed about the institution over the years, are seeking and demanding decent working conditions for restructuring and overturning this entrenched perception, which will allow us to offer our best to our country and the Cypriot public,” the statement concluded.
