Tagungszentrum Im Haus der Bundespresskonferenz - Berlin 5-7 October 2007

This event had the support of the European Union

Documents

To identify tools and methods to reinforce collective bargaining in the sector

 To evaluate and develop trade union strategies and practices for collective bargaining

There is a decrease in trade union density in the sector

More and more journalists work under precarious conditions with fixed term contracts, as freelance and under deregulated terms and conditions

Employers tend to be more and more hostile towards trade unions and collective agreements

In many countries trade unions are mainly organising the core workforce encompassing journalists and employees with open ended contracts, having huge difficulties to reach the workforce employed under precarious conditions.

they have members ready to fight for their terms and conditions

trade unions need to research how they can lean on each others

trade unions have to activate networks to exchange information about employers attitude

the EFJ needs to know what the perspectives and the likelyhood of conflicts are in the countries, what major activities are going on

that the challenges of the technological and market change within the media sector means the EFJ must give priority to developing practical ways of assisting unions to confront the crisis of organising, recruitment and defence of union rights;

that EFJ work must focus on addressing the crisis of attacks on collective agreements, on the need to support unions fighting for basic contract rights, and on the creation of international solidarity for unions engaged in industrial action;

that the EFJ must strive to obtain support for stronger and more effective international support for the principle of collective bargaining and enforcement of labour rights at national level, in particular respect for ILO conventions 87 and 98;

that the EFJ should use the November 5th campaign “Stand Up for Journalism” to expose governments and employers undermining respect for labour rights and journalistic freedom;

that unions should develop strategies that provide a focus equally highlighting the professional status of journalists and the need to defend employment and working conditions and union rights;

that unions need to review their current structures and strategies for organising to take account of the changing nature of work, ownership structures and employment relations within the industry;

that the EFJ should circulate information on innovative forms of industrial action and ways to confront developments such as outsourcing and deregulation of the editorial workforce at a regular basis;

Best practice examples of dealing with these issues – Aller agreement in Denmark and Independent Newspapers in Ireland, for example – should be circulated within EFJ networks;

 that unions need to rethink their national role against the need for an international strategic  approach to dealing with transnational media employers;

 that international framework agreements, which cannot replace national bargaining relationships, provide new opportunities for social dialogue and practical union development,

 that such international agreements should be pursued but must be developed in co-operation with national unions and must be subject to continual evaluation;

 that co-operation with other international unions in the media sector should be encouraged without compromising the independent capacity of EFJ unions to negotiate and sign international agreements for journalists; 

that unions should exchange information on how best to address the needs of young people and the diverse community of freelance, short-contract and atypical workers;

 that unions should develop recruitment strategies that will ensure journalists and the people who work with them are invited to join the appropriate union to represent their interests;

 that unions should develop recruitment strategies specifically with regard to freelances, the young and women;

 that unions should be in contact with journalism schools or strengthen their contacts with training institutes.

 that unions should adopt and promote the agreed EFJ Charter for Freelance journalists and should support strategies for protection of authors’ rights as part of recruitment and organising work;

 that definitions of freelance vary from country to country but, as a minimum, anyone working on employers’ premises, using employers’ equipment, or subject to employer jurisdiction and instruction must be entitled to collective representation, even if their social payments are not covered and they do not obtain other benefits applying to staff journalists;

that the EFJ should circulate information on different definitions of freelance and staff employment that exist in different countries and the levels of formal recognition, in law and bargaining, that prevail in these countries;

that priority must be given to improving communications and establishing effective and durable networks for contact between unions;

that useful and up to date information on conditions, wages and industrial relations in the different countries should be collected by the EFJ and made available to all unions;

that unions need to be closely involved in developing information networks and each union should be encouraged to nominate an information contact point with the EFJ to ensure more efficient and effective exchange of information;

that unions should, in co-operation with other unions, build new coalitions – with the general public, with the political and social movements – to challenge public misconceptions and the image of trade unionism;

that webmasters of EFJ union websites and information officers of the union magazines should meet in order to exchange information and best practice;

that the IFJ Executive Committee shall draw up an action plan and consider a special budget for communication.