Germany: Journalists’ organisations call for a day of action at public broadcasters
On 16 April 2024, the German journalists’ organisations DJV and dju in ver.di are calling on permanent and freelance journalists from all public broadcasters and Deutsche Welle to hold a joint day of action. Under the motto “Fairness sparks”, the employees are sending out a clear signal in favour of fair and appropriate collective agreements in the public broadcasting sector. The DJV and ver.di unions are jointly conducting collective bargaining.
At lunchtime, decentralised actions will be organised in German broadcasting companies. Journalists are united by a common call: “We must make those responsible for collective bargaining at the public broadcasters understand that employees are entitled to fair pay,” says Mika Beuster, DJV national chairman.
The DJV’s demand has been on the table since last autumn, and the employers’ side has fallen well short with initial offers after several rounds without any significant results. At WDR, the two sides are also extremely far apart when it comes to the future remuneration of freelancers.
The DJV criticised the fact that the pressure to save money was also the result of management mistakes: “It is unacceptable that both permanent employees and freelancers should pay the price,” added Beuster. Instead of unrealistic demands for employees to sacrifice their income, constructive and objective collective bargaining was the order of the day – and the aim of the day of action.
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and its Broadcasting Expert Group (BREG) stand in solidarity with German journalists and the united action of the DJV and ver.di:
Independent, impartial research and reporting is hard work and a prerequisite for quality journalism. This daily performance by journalists is subject to tightly controlled standards and must be recognised and fairly remunerated. Austerity policies designed to compensate for mismanagement or to give in to political pressure jeopardise the quality media that are fundamental to democracy. The lack of recognition of the value of their work is leading freelancers into precarious employment. This is what needs to be shown to the public. The EFJ Broadcasting Expert Group therefore clearly supports the day of action proclaimed by the Association of German Journalists,” said the chair of the EFJ Broadcasting Expert Group, Christiana Jankovics.
