ARCHIVES 2008
Austria: The
media union KMSFB, the other Austrian affiliate, is organising a
discussion with journalists' students on quality journalism in Graz on 7
November.
On November 6, the NUJ in Ireland will be joined by students from the Dublin colleges and support the National Trade Union Congress campaign "Get Up and Stand Up" to get involved and highlight the plight of journalists. www.getupstandup.ie/getinvolved/
On November 5 the Irish Executive Council is holding a meeting in Dublin to discuss the challenges facing the media industry.
The journalists' union GPA-djp will present on 5 November a study done by the University of Salzburg on the situation of young trainees in Austrian media companies. It will be followed on a panel discussion on the social status of journalists in general.
See invitation to panel attached.
Copyright: Géneration-Précaire, Frankreich; Plattform Generation Praktikum; Urs Thalmann, Schweiz; GPA-djp
Belarus: The BAJ members in different Belarusian regions were
drawing the public attention to the journalists' problems and the
absence of freedom of speech in Belarus in different ways.The "Stand Up
for Journalism" campaign has been supported by a large number of
Belarusian on-line periodical editions and bloggers' communities. Among
other, the international campaign banners appeared on the Web-sites:
www.naviny.by (BelaPAN News Agency), www.ximik.info (Ximik On-Line
Newspaper, Navapolatsk), www.zautra.by (Your Country's Tomorrow
Informational and Analytical Portal), www.camadade.biz (Tovarisch
newspaper's Web-site) , www.gazetaby.com ("Salidarnasc" On-Line
Newspaper of Independent Trade Unions), www.nn.by (Nasha Niva
nation-wide newspaper's Web-site) and www.nv-online.info (Narodnaya Vola
nation-wide newspaper's Web-site).
A virtual demonstration , dedicated to the global campaign, is held on the BAJ pages in the Live Journal.
See also: http://baj.by/m-p-viewpub-tid-1-pid-5947.html
Belgium: In
Brussels, journalists showed their solidarity on 4 November for group
photo with the International Federation of Journalists, the European
Federation of Journalists, the Belgian Journalists' Association, the
European Journalism Centre, International Press Association, National
Union of Journalists-Brussels Branch.
Croatia
Both
EFJ affiliates in Croatia, the Croatian Journalists Association and the
Union will organise a round-table discussion on 5 November in Zagreb
under the title: "Journalism - an uncertain profession". It will cover
both physical violence against journalists and social insecurity of
working journalists.
Cyprus
Within the context of "Stand up for Journalism" day, the Cyprus Union of Journalists has submitted a 4-page petition to the Government, the House of Representatives and the political parties on a number of issues relating to journalism.
In the petition, CUJ demands speedy and result oriented measures on the following issues:
1. Statutory measures towards systematic vocational training of both new journalists about to enter the profession and older journalists.
2. Implementation of the law clauses relating to the operation of radio stations, mainly those providing for collective bargaining and collective agreements relating to the terms of employment of journalists.
3. Termination of discrimination between "permanent staff" journalists and "associate" journalists working for the state run Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation and the Cyprus News Agency.
4. The Collective Agreements between the CUJ and employers to be given legal status in order to safeguard employees' interests.
5. Abolishment of legal provisions which are mainly leftovers of the colonial administration, which fetter freedom of expression, e.g. certain libel law provisions amounting to pre-emptive censorship, provisions which prohibit public servants giving information to journalists, law provisions which provide that the majority of public documents are "classified", the Electoral Law provisions which prohibit publishing and broadcasting electoral material the day before any election (these provisions have never been implemented but they are still there in violation of the freedom of expression clause) and bringing up to date legislation relating to the Media.
The CUJ has asked for a meeting of its board with government and legislature officials to discus the above mentioned demands.
Germany: The EFJ affiliate, dju in ver.di invited all
staff and freelance journalists to stand up in the company/newsroom for
good journalism in broadcasting and print media at 5 to 11 on 5
November.
The EFJ affiliate, DJV had a major demonstration with banners saying "Our work is worth more" on 5 November as part of the Stand-Up for Journalism campaign.
Great Britain and Ireland
Whilst the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), Great Britain and Ireland, who were the initiators' of last Year Stand-Up for Journalism campaign, do not plan to have the same level of attention on a single day's activity like last year - the NUJ will be rallying members to stand up for local TV news by backing our campaign to Save ITV News. The NUJ is calling on people to sign a petition on the 10 Downing Street website (http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/SaveITVNews2) and then adding to the online comment board to say why they value their local news on ITV.
Members in Northern Ireland are being encouraged to write to their local member of the Northern Ireland Assembly to stand up for journalism at UTV. The channel is looking to make massive cuts, so we're organising for people to send letters of protest.
Members across the Newsquest newspaper group will be completing a survey into stress at work, that closes at the end of this week. The cuts affecting the industry are starting to have a detrimental affect on our members health and the NUJ is getting members to make a stand by completing the survey to show how the cuts are affecting them at work.
http://www.nuj.org.uk/innerPagenuj.html?docid=965
Denmark
At the Danish Media Festival pooling together about 1400 journalists to discuss professional issues of concern, the organiser, Danish Union of Journalists will also integrate the Stand-Up for Journalism campaign in its ambitious programme.
http://www.fagfestival.dk/sw3700.asp
Former Yugo Republic of Macedonia
The IFJ affiliate, the Association of Journalists of Macedonia will will send an appeal to the Macedonian media and request a 2 minutes work stop at 12.00 as a support of the Union's demands for social and professional security, as had been doen in 2007 for the Stand-Up for Journalism campaign.
France
Union of journalists SNJ-CGT called journalists to
demonstrate on 5 November to oppose "the projects of Mr. Sarkozy that
threaten freedom of press" and to "organise a real debate on
information" in parallel to the official "Etats généraux" opened in
early October under the auspices of the government.
The union called for a demonstration in front of 'Agence France Presse, place de la Bourse, between noon and 3pm.
Greece- Thessaloniki
EFJ
affiliate ESIEMTH will hold an event on the importance of authors'
rights during the Stand-Up for Journalism week. EFJ Authors' Rights
Officer Pamela Morinière, a lawyer and a representative of OSDEL (the
Greek collecting society) will outline the main challenges for
journalists in the changing media environment.
Italy
Italian journalists and their union, the National
Press Federation (FNSI), will take part in a day of support for the
dignity of journalism under the title of "Stand up for journalism".
On
5 November, the FNSI will organise a day of demonstration and
discussion (this year marks the second edition). The main themes will
be: protecting journalists' sources, confirming their autonomy, and
defining employment contracts. In Italy especially, the occasion is
deeply felt and eagerly awaited since Italian journalism is currently
being threatened by harmful actions aimed at reducing the autonomy of
the profession through a number of laws, such as the draft law "Alfano",
which even envisages imprisonment for journalists who publish
information of important public interest, which has been taken from the
proceedings of judicial investigations. What is at stake is professional
secrecy. If a journalist happens to discover a confidential or secret
item from the magistracy and considers it to be of interest for public
opinion, he or she is entitled to publish it according to legislation
governing the journalistic profession in Italy and according to the
European Convention on human rights.
On these subjects, and
against the manifest attempts to reduce the activities of journalists
sanctioned by the Constitution, in recent weeks the FNSI and the Italian
Reporters' Union have held more than twenty public demonstrations in
the main Italian cities, with the distribution of leaflets and other
informative material, involving hundreds of journalists and many
thousands of citizens.
On November 5, the FNSI will
continue these initiatives by bringing together members and supporters
in a large demonstration to be held inside and outside the Capranichetta
cinema in Rome.
From 10.00 to 13.00 hrs, colleagues from all over Italy will hold an assembly, followed by a demonstration from 13.00 to 14.00 hrs in front of Palazzo Monte Citorio, seat of the Italian Parliament. Participants will wear white T-shirts
bearing coloured slogans ("No news under lock and key", "No censorship,
no gagging") accompanied by the logos of the FNSI and the initiative
"Stand up for journalism", symbols that will be shown on hundreds of
flags. Colleagues from the FNSI will also carry banners and wear
coloured caps bearing slogans such as: "Freedom to inform", "Freedom to
know", "Press freedom".
During the afternoon, the national council of the journalists' union will meet at the federal headquarters for an in-depth study of the contractual discussions which are starting again, after three years of refusal to negotiate by the Italian Publishers' Federation.
Lithuania
The EFJ/IFJ affiliate in Lithuania, the Lithuanian Union of Journalists organised happenings in the streets of Vilnius with banners and logos raising the awareness of the European Stan-Up campaign and the need to fight for quality. (see pictures in the link).
http://www.lzs.lt/?lt=1225905272
Portugal
The Journalists Union of Portugal, the SJ, will organise a seminar on the problems of journalism, Journalism, dignified profession, profession with rights, and some cultural activities. Further, the union will meet on 5 November the Parliament to discuss a new law on pluralism and media concentration.
Romania
Following
the government refusal to reply to the demands regarding salary raise
(as agreed in a collective agreement signed in the past) and adoption of
measures for diminishing taxation policy in mass-media. EFJ/IFJ
affiliate MediaSind decided to continue protest actions adopted by its Congress on 18 October:
- to gather signatures for the start of strike actions at mass-media level, beginning with 30.10.2008;
- to convoke the parity commission at mass-media level, on November 5th 2008;
- to take part in all protest actions organised at a national level by union confederations.
Romanian Federation of Journalists MediaSind calls on all mass-media employees to participate at strike actions organised by the federation.
Serbia
The EFJ/IFJ affiliates in Serbia, the Journalists`Association of Serbia and Journalists' Union of Serbia circulated on 5 November a press release on the Stand Up for Journalism Day in which they expressed their concerns about the growing political influence in media, especially in public service broadcasting. Growing assaults against media workers and the need for an improved social protection were also mentioned. Both union and association were active in media paying tribute to the EFJ Stand-Up Campaign with posters, pictures etc..
Slovakia
The Slovakian Syndicate of Journalists will organise on 4. November a conference under the theme "Journalists in the year 1968 - the way to year 1989".An appeal to support the Slovakian quality campaign will be circulated.
Sweden
For this year's Stand Up For Journalism campaign, the Swedish Union of Journalists has investigated attitudes to protection of media sources among a select number of Swedish editors-in-chief.
The sjf sent out a survey to 60 editors from across the board: Morning papers, national and regional, tabloids, public service, union papers etc. The findings will be posted on www.sjf.se during the SUFJ week.
Spain
EFJ and IFJ affiliates, FAPE and CCOO, participate in the Stand-Up for Journalsim campaign on November 5. In a press release from Madrid, FAPE declares its concern for the increasing "unstable jobs, low salaries, irregular types of contract, the endless days of work" that affect not only to labour standards but also "the quality of the information" given to the citizens in the democratic societies.
In the southern region of Andalucia, FAPE affiliates, together with unions CCOO and UGT, call to participate as part of the Stand-Up for Journalism activities in a demonstration in Cadiz, a city with historical tradition of defending democratic freedom. On the same date, 198 years ago, the initial constitutional Spanish parliament gathered in Cadiz to proclaim the first law for the Freedom of the Press of the country.
Switzerland
EFJ affiliate comedia has launched on November 5 an urgent appeal, which can be signed by journalists and critical readers. Some famous writers have already signed the appeal. With its appeal they in particular criticize the plans of the Swiss Association of Publishers, who question editorial independence of the newsroom and want to abolish the principles of the press council. The Publishers Association is asked the respect editorial independence as well as the independence of the press council. In their appeal, they also urge the employers to restart negotiations on the long awaited collective agreement for journalists.
http://www.comedia.ch/standupforjournalism.html
EFJ affiliate Impressum produced a leaflet on the theme of the collective agreement and the defence of authors' rights (below in German)
Turkey
Unions protested employers' pressure on union rights demands of
journalists. Representatives of EFJ/IFJ affiliate in Turkey, the
Journalists' Union of Turkey (TGS) made press statements in front of HQ
of Sabah and ATV in Balmumcu district of Istanbul and Sogutozu office in
Ankara. Workers' and civil servants' unions also supported the protest.
Protestors chanted slogans and carried banners reading "honor of
labor means being a member of a union", "no to injustice against union
rights in media", "respect for labor", "take your hands off my pen and
union" in the demonstrations.
Turkuvaz Group, owning Sabah daily
newspaper and ATV private TV channel, cut collective bargaining talks
with the TGS without showing any reason and dismissed the representative
of the union.
TGS members also gathered in front of Sabah daily's HQ in capital
Ankara in order to protest the dismissal of several employees from the
newspaper and ATV private TV channel. During the demonstration,
protestors carried banners reading "Stand Up For Journalism".
Delivering
a statement during the protest, Turgut Dedeoglu, president of TGS's
Ankara branch, said that they would file reemployment lawsuits and suits
for damages in order to protect the rights of the dismissed union
members and they would closely follow the legal process.
"We are
determined to carry on with our unionist struggle in Sabah Newspaper
& Magazine Group and ATV, sticking to legitimate and legal grounds,"
Dedeoglu said.
