Election Day Strike Brings Negotiations for Journalists
The general strike by Slovene journalists, which started on the day of parliamentary elections, had considerable impact on developments last week. Major daily newspapers did not go to print and even on election day, electronic media broadcast only the most essential information, as prescribed by law.
The main reason behind the strike action was the fact that the two key signatories of the current collective agreement – the Publishing, Printing and Media Association at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia and the Association of Local and Regional Radio Stations of Slovenia – had failed to recognise the agreement for the last few years and at the same time, were not prepared to enter negotiations on a new agreement, since such agreement was seen by them as unnecessary.
The Union of Slovene Journalists sent its strike demands to the Publishing, Printing and Media Association as early as on 22nd September 2004 with the latter rejecting all three strike demands (negotiations on the revision of the collective agreement, repeal of unilateral revocation of the collective agreement by employers, and the August revaluation of salaries in line with the collective agreement). The Union then produced a compromise proposal, focussing on a question to employers as to whether they were prepared to negotiate on one of the strike demands – on the revision of the collective agreement for professional journalists. When the employers refused to negotiate the Strike Committee called for a general strike to begin on Sunday, 3rd October 2004, on the very day of elections, and which lasted through Wednesday, 6th October 2004.
Three days into the strike the Strike Committee of the Union of Slovene Journalists decided to call a temporary halt to the journalists’ strike and accepted the initiative by the Publishing, Printing and Media Association at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia to start constructive negotiations on a collective agreement for professional journalists, despite the fact that the Association failed to accept their strike demands in full. The two parties held their first meeting on 6th October, whose purpose was to present the negotiating groups and define their working methods in the future. Negotiations will be held behind closed door and the two leaders of the negotiating groups are to release joint public statements, when the time comes.
Negotiators are to meet again on 21st October 2004
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