CAIRO: Minister of Information Anas El-Fiqi promised to include National TV employees in the Egyptian Television and Radio Union’s (ERTU) restructuring plans in response to protests over the past two days.
Mahasen El-Sinousy, a reporter in Akhbar Al-Youm told Daily News Egypt that El-Fiqi met with the protestors for 30 minutes and agreed to retract his previous decision to redistribute 28 TV shows among the various terrestrial channels as part of the ERTU’s restructuring plan.
El-Fiqi promised to set up meetings with each channel’s staff throughout next week to address their grievances.
El-Sinousy, who also assists with program editing, said that national TV stations outsource many of their shows, with up to 75 percent of the work and editing done by externals, causing fears of massive layoffs in the restructuring plans.
According to Al-Wafd newspaper, the minister had previously refused three restructuring projects which had proposed mass dismissals, saying that priority is for accommodating the existing employees.
El-Fiqi also said that the development of public television must include the introduction of diverse programs, while stressing the need for limiting the outsourcing of content as much as possible.
El-Sinousy said that the protest has ended pending the meetings with the information minister. The TV employees hope that the minister will meet their demands for new equipment and training.
