The Moroccan Federation of Newspaper Publishers (FMEJ) expressed its “surprise” at not being invited to the meeting held on Thursday in Rabat with the National Syndicate of the Moroccan Press (SNPM) and the National Association of Publishers and Media (ANME) with a view to signing a collective agreement. “We are surprised, within the Moroccan Federation of Newspaper Publishers, that the Minister in charge of the Department of Communication unilaterally invited an association of publishers to a meeting with the National Syndicate of the Moroccan Press, which took place at the headquarters of the ministry, under his supervision and that of his deputies, with a view to signing a collective agreement”, indicates the FMEJ in a press release sent to MAP.
“No invitation has been sent to the Federation, the historic body and the most representative of Moroccan newspaper publishers, especially since the Federation has signed the collective agreement in force, has been present in the various consultations and debates related with the issue, and has clearly expressed its readiness to sign any agreement aimed at improving working conditions in media companies,” the statement read.
The FMEJ castigates the behavior of the Communication Department for its “encroachment on prerogatives which do not belong to it in the first place”, explaining that “any collective agreement must be concluded between the representatives of the employees and those of the companies, after negotiations and agreements carried out in full independence and freedom”. For the Federation, “representation is defined by law, logic and effective membership in organizations, and not by the inclinations of the minister and his friendships”.
“The behavior of the Ministry is clearly and directly aimed at the Federation and tends to undermine the supreme professional values that it represents in the service of society, the Fatherland and the constants”, indicates the FMEJ which denounces an “attempt to marginalize the voices of various national and regional companies that the Federation represents” and which number approximately 310. The FMEJ recalls, in this context, that it has filed with the supervisory ministry the lists and files of these companies.
“The attitude of the ministry refers to other behaviors raised in the past which provide information on a lack of seriousness in the dialogue with the professional bodies”, adds the Federation which says that it regrets a “reckless and irresponsible” approach. “The fact of excluding the Federation from discussions and negotiations and then signing any collective agreement shows a lack of knowledge of the law, the stubbornness of the ministry and its attempts to empty the dialogue of all the seriousness it requires” , continues the FMEJ.
The Moroccan Federation of Newspaper Publishers further indicates that it “is not concerned by any agreement that it has not signed”, while emphasizing that it is in favor of improving the material situation of human resources in the press sector.
In its statement, the FMEJ calls “not to mortgage the great expectations of a vital sector for democracy because of narrow selfish calculations”.
LNT with CoP
