The Independent Syndicate of Journalists and Media Workers (SSNM) reacted to the press release issued by the government regarding the media freedom report issued by the Reporters without borders, stating that the government is taking credit for someone else’s work.
“The press release indicates that the reasons for climbing the list is the improvement of the journalists and media workers’ rights, but that hasn’t been evidenced like that in “Reporters without Borders’ report. SSNM stresses that the initiatives and activities on part of the Syndicate, the Association of Journalists and the Council of Ethics of Media in Macedonia were stressed as positive and has indicated as “very significant achievements” but only on part of the guild” wrote SSNM.
The Syndicate states that the report mentions SSNM’s initiative for signing of the “Bill of journalist working conditions” by the European Federation of Journalists including the draft fair employment contracts prepared by SSNM with the assistance of the International Federation of Journalists on part of the AJM, SEMM and other media and organizations.
The Government must do a lot more if it wants a minimum improvements int he domain of journalists working conditions and for that purpose legal changes are necessary, states SSNM’s reaction.
SSNM stresses that most of the so called traditional media do not obey basic workers rights, and at most of them there are direct bans for syndicate activities which is contrary to the Labor Code.
