Journalists and
media workers in the Asia-Pacific commit to building stronger unions to build
power in our creative communities for a stronger media.
Strong unions that
represent journalists and media workers are central to an independent media in
democratic societies. Media workers through their unions are also engaging in
shaping the emerging regional structures.
Over
70 leaders and representatives of 35 Asia-Pacific trade unions and associations
representing workers in the journalism,
media, entertainment and arts industry met in Kuala Lumpur to commit to organise
to shape the future of the media industry in the Asia-Pacific.
Following on from the IFJ-UNI Bali resolution
on 1 October, 2010, the 2012 joint meeting – “Strong Unions, Strong Media:
Organizing for Power at Work” further demonstrates our commitment to deepen
cross regional and cross sectoral cooperation and linkages.
The group resolved to address a series of priorities
through joint cooperation and national and regional actions.
These include:
1. Safety
and security for all journalists and media workers and an end to impunity
2. Legal reforms that respect core
labour and freedom of expression standards including all positive obligations
through international conventions..
3. Employment
arrangements that respect our careers and professionalism by empowering media
workers to build their careers both inside and outside traditional employment
relationships.
4. Independent
public broadcasting that reflects the communities they serve;
5. Strengthened
unions of journalists and media workers as the democratic arm of the industry with
greater cooperation and unity at a national and regional level.
The
IFJ AP and UNI APRO will continue discussions to formalise our alliance including
through a joint organising strategy and coordinated project work.
Our
network, representing workers in print, broadcasting, film, entertainment and
arts, will continue to maintain and build connections with like-minded related
organisations with an understanding that regional solidarity means stronger
unions and a stronger media.
The
meeting further commits to undertake joint actions to build the campaigning and
organising capacity of all our unions as the democratic voice of our industries
that reach out to emerging work in new media, among freelance and contract
workers and young workers.
We
will work to ensure governments and media institutions invest in the long-term
future of media by creating needed infrastructure, building new audiences and
wisely managing the introduction of new technologies.
We welcome the launch of International News
Safety Institute Asia-Pacific to be hosted by UNI APRO and commit to work with
INSI AP on safety and security issues as part of our continuing campaign to
create a safe environment and end impunity.
Participating
unions will build the power and influence of journalists, media and
entertainment workers in Asia-Pacific to achieve improvements in press freedom,
freedom of expression and freedom of association, and to foster a democratic,
professional and ethical media culture.
We
will also create regional networks of unions in public service broadcasters to
promote solidarity in support of PSB values.
The trade unions and associations
represented at the Kuala Lumpur meeting and endorsing its resolutions are as
follows:
1. International
Federation of Journalists Asia-Pacific
2. UNI
APRO and UNI MEI Global Union
3. Aliansi
Jurnalis Independen, Indonesia
4. Asosiasi
Serikat Pekerja Indonesia
5. Association
of Taiwan Journalists
6. Astro
Productions Employees Association, Malaysia
7. Burma
Media Association
8. Cambodian
Association for the Protection of Journalists
9. Engineering,
Printing, and Manufacturing Union, New Zealand
10. Federation
of Independent Media Workers’ Unions, Indonesia
11. Federation of Nepalese Journalists
12. Free
Media Movement, Sri Lanka
13. Hong
Kong Journalists’ Association
14. Indian
Journalists’ Union
15. Maldives
Journalists’ Association
16. Media,
Entertainment & Arts Alliance, Australia
17. Myanmar
Journalist Association
18. Myanmar
Journalist Union
19. National
Alliance of Broadcasting Unions, Philippines
20. National
Union of Journalists of the Philippines
21. National
Union of Journalists, India
22. National
Union of Journalists, Malaysia
23. National
Union of Journalists, Nepal
24. National
Union of Media Workers, Korea
25. National
Union of Newspaper Workers, Malaysia
26. Nepal
Press Union
27. Nepal
Television Employees’ Association
28. Pakistan
Federal Union of Journalists
29. Portal
Creatif, Malaysia
30. Radio
Nepal Employees Association
31. Singapore
Union of Broadcasting Employees
32. Sri
Lanka Working Journalists’ Association
33. System
Television Malaysia Berhad Employees Union - KSKSTMB
34. Timor
Leste Journalists’ Association
35. UNIME
Nepal
36. Union
of MCOT, Thailand
37. Union
of Public Television Service Foundation, Taiwan
38. Vietnam
Television Union
For
further information, contact:
IFJ
Asia-Pacific on +612 9333 0919
UNI
APRO/ UNI MEI on [email protected]
The IFJ represents over 600,000 journalists in 125 countries worldwide
UNI
MEI represents 140 unions and guilds and over 300,000 media, entertainment and
arts workers globally
Find the IFJ on Twitter: @ifjasiapacific
Find UNI MEI on Twitter: @unimei