The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has just sent a strong signal to European policy makers. Yesterday, in their first ever ruling on the working conditions of journalists in Europe, the three components of the EESC – trade unions, employers and civil society – have joined forces to demand concrete measures against the worrying precariousness of journalists, which poses a serious threat to democracy. The report, adopted on Wednesday by a very large majority in plenary, calls on the European Commission and Member State governments to take concrete measures to support the profession.
Although initiated by the trade union component of the EESC, the own-initiative opinion, entitled ‘Labour rights for journalists and media professionals as a safeguard for independence and truthful information’, received very broad support from representatives of the other two components, employers and civil society, during the Committee’s plenary vote on Wednesday. The report was adopted by 209 votes in favour, 4 against and 11 abstentions.
The EESC report, supported by numerous objective sources, including the Media Pluralism Monitor and data collected by the Council of Europe and MFRR platforms for the safety of journalists, notes the rapidly increasing precariousness of the profession in Europe, in all its forms: social and economic deregulation, an increase in precarious employment status, pressures of all kinds, non-renewal of collective agreements, verbal and physical violence, intensification of work, a general worsening of mental health problems in newsrooms, etc.
Faced with this dramatic situation, which threatens citizens’ right to access information, the report opens with a series of 13 concrete recommendations, such as the adoption of a European directive on psychosocial risks at work, the effective implementation of the new European Regulation on media freedom, financial support for the media industry in the face of the dominance of US Very Large Online Platforms, the promotion of social dialogue with a view to obtaining collective agreements protecting the rights of freelancers, the regulation of the use of artificial intelligence in the media, etc.
“Yesterday’s overwhelming vote in favour of the EESC report on working conditions for journalists in Europe sends a crucial signal,” said Maja Sever, EFJ president: “Employers have joined forces with trade unions and civil society to denounce the precarious labour situation of journalists, which threatens the rule of law and democracy in Europe. The European Commission and governments must respond to this unanimous call: urgent measures must now be taken to enable journalists to continue doing their work and thus guarantee citizens’ right to access free, independent and pluralistic information”.
“Journalists frequently encounter poor working conditions that prevent them from doing their job properly,” added José Antonio Moreno Diaz, EESC Workers’ group member and rapporteur. “As vital guardians of information freedom, it’s crucial to advocate for better conditions. This includes safeguarding their personal integrity, mental well-being, and work environment, while fostering social dialogue and collective bargaining within the media industry”.
“Far too many journalists work in unstable jobs without proper social security or basic labour rights,” insisted Christian Moos, EESC Civil Sociaty Organisations group member and co-rapporteur. “We cannot expect fearless reporting when the people we rely on to inform us are themselves unprotected”.
The EFJ calls on the public authorities of the European Union and Member States to take immediate action on the 13 concrete recommendations set out at the beginning of the report and to implement them as soon as possible in consultation with journalists’ organisations.
Download the report here.
