Rezolucije donesene na Godišnjoj skupštini Europske novinarske federacije(EFJ), Berlin, 13. - 15. lipnja 2008.

18.06.2008.

EFJ Annual Meeting

 

Resolutions

 

A)               EFJ Rules

Adopted Rules to be sent out in due time

 

B)                Union Rights and Collective Agreements

 

1.         Social Security in Greece and strike breaking

            Journalists’ Union of the Athens Daily Newspapers

 

The Annual Meeting of the EFJ meeting in Berlin on 13-15 June, 2008

 

Supporting the Greek journalists’ fight against the implementation of the new law on social security, which aims to dismantle the social security system by removing independent and autonomous journalists’ social security organisations. 

 

Denouncing employer actions that undermine this struggle and which breach the constitutional right to strike.

 

Condemning owners of the Broadcasting Station SKAI TV and Cypriot subscription channel LUMIER for strike-breaking. In particular, SKAI TV for broadcasting during the strike period BBC news translated into Greek and LUMIER for broadcasting football matches with live coverage by commentator from another country (Cyprus).

 

INSTRUCTS the Steering Committee to call upon the BBC, Deutsche Welle and Voice of America not to allow their programmes to be used to fill gaps in programming when Greek journalists are on strike;   and to include a relevant provision in their commercial agreements with Greek Broadcasting Stations.

 

2.         No Social Partnership in German and Italian part of Switzerland

             comedia and impressum, Switzerland

 

Noting that almost four years ago the newspaper and magazine publishers from the German speaking and Italian speaking parts of Switzerland cancelled the collective agreement (»Gesamtarbeitsvertrag«) for the journalists and the technical staff of the newsroom.  All attempts from the media union  comedia and the journalists association impressum for a new contract were refused by the publishers’ association. So far not even negotiations between the Social Partners were possible.

 

Recognising that only thanks to the improved economical conditions there has not been a big reduction in salaries, however the real salaries of the majority of journalists are stagnating or decreasing.  In case of worsening economical conditions the salaries will be increasingly under pressure and the difference between the salaries of well paid journalists  and low paid journalists will widen.

 

Confirming the statements from the media union comedia and the association impressum the current situation has in particular in the following areas a negative effect: The trainees, the freelances and persons in crisis situations and persons with family obligations suffer without contracts.  Furthermore, the whole profession is harmed, when the journalists cannot even rely on a relative secure collective agreement.

 

Recognising that after several years of the „cold war“ between the Social Partners, since 2007 the publishers are ready to discuss specific problems with the journalists organisations.  However, the publishers’ association continues to refuse any binding rule, and continues to say that in principle it would not negotiate any collective agreement.

The Swiss legal system is based on the principle of minimum general working conditions, which are adapted by the Social Partners to the specific sector.

 

DECLARES its solidarity with the Swiss colleagues;

 

INSTRUCTS the Steering Committee to:

·        Protest against the attitude of the „Association of the Swiss press“, which is not worthy of a modern democracy under the rule of law.

·        Send a delegation to Switzerland to ask the Swiss Publishers’ Association to accept the basic right to negotiate collective agreements and to start serious negotiations with the Social Partners.

 

3.         Outsourcing

            NUJ, Great Britain and Ireland

 

The Annual Meeting of the EFJ meeting in Berlin on 13-15 June, 2008

 

Noting that some employers have outsourced media work, particularly to countries with low-wage economies, as a key part of their strategy to reduce costs, with a consequent impact on the job security and working conditions of media workers.

 

Noting that the areas of work being sourced out are diverse and include IT and software development but also some journalistic functions.

 

Noting that in the UK recent research has forecast that 100,000 jobs will relocate to India by 2008 and that the response of the British trade union movement not to react to employer initiatives to relocate work overseas with arguments that could be misconstrued as ‘British jobs for British workers’. Instead trade unions concentrated on protecting members at home and ensuring compliance with decent labour standards abroad.

 

Welcoming the positive dialogue between the EFJ affiliate, the NUJ UK and Ireland, and the three affiliates of the IFJ in India which resulted in a joint declaration including the following principles that:

 

·      whenever work is off shored, union recognition and minimum ILO employment standards should apply,

·      the unions set up structures to exchange information, and to monitor transfer of work including an annual review,

·      satisfactory undertakings should be sought from the employers to maintain the highest journalistic standards,

·      journalists on transferred work should enjoy the same ethical standards that protect journalists’ rights in the UK,

·      work transfers resulting in the replacement of employed status jobs with a casualised workforce is opposed and best practice health and safety should apply.

 

Believing that, with the emergence of a global labour market, a global trade union organising strategy is required.

 

URGES the Steering Committee to work with the IFJ and the Global Union Federations to ensure compliance with ILO core labour standards, including the conventions on the right to organise and on collective bargaining throughout company supply chains.

 

CALLS ON the Steering Committee to undertake a detailed study of the current position as well as the implications for jobs for journalists and to report to next year’s Annual Meeting.

 

4.         Precarity in journalism

            FNSI, Italy

 

The Annual Meeting of the EFJ meeting in Berlin on 13-15 June, 2008

 

Noting the increasing number of journalists working in precarious conditions, be it part time or freelance;

 

Stressing that quality information will only be provided if employers provide a high level of editorial professionalism and decent conditions of journalistic work regulated through collective agreements.

 

Confirming that journalists in temporary work or on short term contracts must receive the same level of economic and social conditions as their colleagues working as fulltime employed staff. Such minimum conditions should be set out in precise terms in collective agreements at national and at company level.

 

Urging that freelance journalists should be included in collective agreements and should receive the same conditions, including remuneration, social benefits and insurance in case of accident or in case of conflict with the employer, as employed journalists.

 

5.         Recognition of the status of journalists of employees in new media

            SNJ-CGT, France

 

The Annual Meeting of the EFJ meeting in Berlin from 13 to 15 June 2008

 

Noting that changing technologies are driving the development of new media across the world.

 

Noting that these “new media” are often not covered by the same professional standards of production or legislation as press publishers or broadcasters.

 

Noting that these newcomers employ staff to do what is effectively journalistic work without proper recognition of their professional status.

 

Noting that many written or broadcast media have contracts with these media for providing content in violation of the authors’ rights of journalists.

 

Considering that quality journalism depends upon a high level of social and legal protection.

 

INSTRUCTS the EFJ Steering Committee and its Labour Rights Expert Group to draft a report on this issue and to bring it to the attention of the European Commission.

 

ASKS the EFJ Steering Committee to raise awareness among the member unions on the need to recognise the status of journalists working in these new companies.

 

CALLS ON EFJ members to support a petition in newsrooms across Europe to support this action before submitting it to the European Commission.

C)    Quality in Media, Authors’ Rights

 

6.         Media Convergence/Multimedia/Professional Identity

            DJU in ver.di, Germany

 

The Annual Meeting of the EFJ meeting in Berlin on 13-15 June, 2008

 

Noting the rapid changes in the technical environment and the integrated media landscape, which increasingly create multimedia products including broadcasters who provide web platforms that combine video streams and articles; newspaper and magazine publishers integrating audiovisual content; and online-media developing ways of disseminating user generated content.

 

Noting the changes of the professional skill of journalists in “traditional” media, and the emergence of new complex and multi-skilled jobs through media convergence;

 

INSTRUCTS the EFJ Steering Committee to: 

 

1)     Analyse the consequences  of these changes on the professional identity of journalists in Europe;

2)     Initiate a discussion among EFJ/IFJ-member unions about common criteria  for defining the work of professional journalism under  changing technological and market conditions;

3)

Povratak