MPM is Violating Journalists` Constitutional Rights and Freedoms

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SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

SSNM is fiercely protesting against the Company that issues and prints Utrinski Vesnik, Dnevnik and Vest, including other daily and weekly publications, because it is blackmailing, degrading and discriminating journalists with work agreements which are forbidding them to express their personal views on the social networks i.e. Facebook, Twitter, etc.

The article of the agreement in which journalists are seemingly advised to refrain, when they are de facto forbidden, from expressing their personal views in the wake of the recent lay-offs and salary reductions, can be interpreted as nothing less than an another attempt at silencing journalists, limiting their freedom of speech and a violation of the fundamental human rights and freedoms.

The attempt of Media Print Macedonia to present these articles as a “worldwide practice” and the signing of the agreements as “optional” is highly cynical and insulting.

“The attempt of Media Print Macedonia to present these articles as a “worldwide   practice” and the signing of the agreements as “optional” is highly cynical and insulting.

Namely, it is true that many media in the world have guidelines for their journalists and employees regarding the way they communicate on the social networks, but those are merely guidelines rather than articles in a work agreement the violation of which automatically implies termination of such an agreement. Moreover, that signing of these agreements is far from “optional” is shown by the fact that in case a worker refuses to sign such an agreement, the employer may fire him without any consequences.

SSNM warned the Company that this practice is a direct violation of Article 6 of the Law on Labor Relations which prohibits discrimination, several Articles from the Law on Protection and Prevention from Discrimination, including the constitutional rights and freedoms warrantied in Articles 8, 9, 16 and 17.

The Independent Trade Union of Journalists and Media Workers will inform the international community and will undertake all possible actions against the Company in order to have these blackmailing, degrading and humiliating work agreements for journalists revoked.

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