JN journalists issued a manifesto to draw the government’s attention to the collective dismissal

This Wednesday, Jornal de Notícias journalists handed over a manifesto to the Prime Minister’s Under-Secretary of State to draw the government’s attention to the group’s intention to achieve a collective dismissal that would “be the death” of the newspaper.

At the entrance to Porto City Hall, three journalists from the century-old newspaper waited today for the arrival of Prime Minister António Costa, who will take part in the launch ceremony of the latest issue of Governador+Proximo in the Porto area.

The aim was to convey the manifesto to António Costa and raise awareness of the government of the Global Media Group’s intention to move forward on the issue of collective redundancy.

However, the document ended up in the hands of the Deputy Secretary of State of Prime Minister António Mendonça Mendes, who assured that he would share the document with António Costa, with whom the journalists ultimately did not cross paths.

In the manifesto, which Lusa had access to, the editorial board of Jornal de Notícias said that the cuts announced by the administration “will be the death” of the newspaper.

“If this unthinkable decision is made, the title may last another year or two, but it can never continue to matter,” they argue.

Global Media Group (GMG) will negotiate “emergency” redundancies with 150-200 workers and continue restructuring to avoid the group’s “more than foreseeable bankruptcy”, it announced in an internal statement today.

According to a statement accessed by Lusa, the termination agreements will be negotiated “with the participation of between 150 and 200 workers across the group’s different areas and brands” in order to “avoid collective redundancies.” process” which, according to the Executive Committee, “will be considered as a last resort”.

“Due to the financial constraints caused by the cancellation of the Lusa deal,” the GMG administration also states that “the payment of the Christmas subsidy for 2023 can only be made through twelfths added to salaries from January to December next year.”

The JN editorial team is on strike this Wednesday and Thursday due to “the lack of response from management to a request for clarification of the intent of the collective layoff at Global Media Group sent on November 24,” according to information sent last week. to Lusu.

The editors of JN have created a petition against the announced collective dismissal, warning that it will be the “death” of the newspaper and will have consequences for the Northern region.