- "We will not allow EITB Media to become a propaganda tool of the PNV. We will not allow ETB, Eusko Irratia and eitb.eus to become NO-DO of the Basque Government." The LAB trade union has shown its anger at the appointment of Andoni Aldekoa and Ibone Bengoetxea for EiTB positions in the PNV. In addition, they have denounced that there are more and more people in the leadership and in the senior positions of the autonomous Executive.
Below you can read the full LAB note:
"We have seen the directors of EiTB take a leap towards Sabin Etxea or towards the Basque Government, but this time the road is turning away in the opposite direction. A few months ago Andoni Aldekoa was appointed CEO of EITB Media and now Ibone Bengoetxea has been re-elected as CEO of EITB Media. The two are members of the PNV and have worked in the field of policy. A scandalous, unacceptable and shameful decision.
Andoni Aldekoa de la Torre was an advisor to the mayor of Bilbao, Iñaki Azkuna, for 16 years and director of Communication of Lehendakaritza, Iñigo Urkullu, between 2015 and 2017. Ibone Bengoetxea Otaolea was a member of the PNV in the City Hall of Bilbao for 12 years and was subsequently a member of the foral government of Bizkaia until she was recently dismissed by Unai Rementeria.
With Aldekoa and Bengoetxea in charge of EITB Media, the intention of the PNV is evident: It aims to establish political control in EiTB, turning the public media into a means of government communication and an instrument to promote partisan interests.
We will not allow EITB Media to become a propaganda tool for the PNV. We will not allow ETB, Eusko Irratia and eitb.eus to become NO-DO of the Basque Government.
EiTB must ensure objectivity, professionalism, plurality and political neutrality. It must also be in the service of Basque citizenship, and not in the service of the PNV or the Basque Government. EiTB should aim to inform Basque citizenship with professionalism and objectivity, respecting plurality and neutrality, and nothing else.
More directors and managers than ever before: In addition, we believe that the new EITB Media organigram is absolutely condemnable, in terms of the number of managers or senior officials, as we now have more managers and managers than when we were three companies (ETB, Eusko Irratia and EITBNET), when these three companies have merged into a single company, EITB Media. Incomprehensible and unacceptable.
LAB has been claiming for years the need to stabilize the jobs of EITB Media and agree on a structural template, but we have always made it clear that the condition to start working is to dismantle the management system (in EITB Media there are 1000 workers and 100 managers). What has Mr Andoni Aldekoa done just before reaching the direction of EITB Media? Increase the number of managers and senior officials.
When the pandemic has reached the age of one year, when we are experiencing an unprecedented health and socio-economic crisis, two political commissioners of the PNV have led EITB Media. Difficult times come to the public media."