SSNM: A package with aid measures to help the journalists and the media workers is necessary

The Independent Syndicate of Journalists and Media Workers (SSNM) considers that a package with measures to help Macedonian media is more than necessary and that it must provide a guarantee that this aid will be received directly by the employees that were hit by the COVID-19 crisis.

SSNM has three propositions. The first one is lifting the obligation to pay the social security benefits for employees of the  media that didn’t lay off any employee during the crisis, unless it was a termination by mutual agreement, retirement or other enactments by the Labor Law excluding the redundancies as long as the measures are into force and termination of a contract.

“This measure should be aplied also to the media that decreased the journalists’ and media workers’ salaries, but only if they oblige themselves to use this funds to return the money to their employees. The return of money will occur simultaneously with the implementation of this measure”, states the second point of SSNM’s proposed package.

The syndicate stresses that this measure should not encompass media for which an authorized court has a verdict for violation of the Criminal Code of the Chapter against the people’s health i.e. Article 205, paragraphs 5, 6, and 7. This is aimed to raise the awareness in the fight against the fake news and the importance of professional journalism, said SSNM.

SSNM greets all previous measures taken by the Government to help the media, but the data showing that a large number of journalists and media workers were faced with lowering of their salaries or layoffs, clearly point out that the previous measures weren’t enough” said SSNM’s press release.

This article was produced within the framework of the project “Media Reform Observatory“, implemented by the Foundation for Internet and the Society “Metamorphosis”, with financial support by the Foundation “Open Society – Macedonia”.

The content is sole responsibility of its authors and in no way whatsoever could be understood as a representation of the views of the Foundation “Open Society – Macedonia”.