“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 Union 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,” said the FMEJ in a press release sent to MAP.
“No invitation was sent to the Federation, the historic and most representative body of Moroccan newspaper publishers, especially since the Federation signed the collective agreement in force, was present in the various consultations and debates relating to the issue, and clearly expressed its willingness to sign any agreement aimed at improving working conditions in press companies,” the press release said.
The FMEJ criticizes the behavior of the Department of Communication for its “encroachment on prerogatives that do not belong to it in the first place”, explaining that “any collective agreement must be concluded between the representatives of employees and those of companies, after negotiations and agreements conducted in complete independence and freedom”.
For the Federation, “representation is defined by law, logic and effective membership in organizations, and not by the minister’s inclinations and friendships.”
“The Ministry’s behavior clearly and directly targets 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 the various national and regional companies that the Federation represents” and whose number amounts to 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 that indicate a lack of seriousness in the dialogue with professional bodies,” adds the Federation, which says it regrets a “reckless and irresponsible” approach. “The fact of excluding the Federation from discussions and negotiations and then signing any collective agreement denotes a lack of knowledge of the law, the obstinacy 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 stressing that it is in favor of improving the material situation of human resources in the press sector.
In its press release, the FMEJ calls for “not jeopardizing the great expectations of a sector vital to democracy because of narrow selfish calculations.”
2024-08-25 15:12:31