Global Media Group (GMG) workers are striking this Wednesday, the same day the voluntary layoff deadline expires, to demonstrate their opposition to plans to lay off up to 200 workers and in defense of journalism.
The protest was called by the Union of Journalists (SJ), the Union of Manufacturing, Energy and Environmental Workers of the North (SITE-Norte) and the Union of Telecommunications and Audiovisual Workers (STT), covering all workers, regardless of function.
“The unions believe that this will be a clear manifestation of the desire to demonstrate to the Executive Committee and the shareholders of GMG their complete rejection of the intention to lay off 200 workers and the consequences that these blind and brutal cuts will have on the Diário de Notícias. in O Jogo, in Dinheiro Vivo, in various magazines, in Naveprinter and in all divisions and companies of the group,” the union structures said in a statement.
On December 6, in an internal statement, GMG’s executive committee, led by José Paulo Fafe, announced that it would urgently negotiate layoffs with 150 to 200 workers and embark on a restructuring it said was necessary to avoid “more than what predictable bankruptcy of the group.”
The workers did not receive either the December salary or the Christmas bonus, which, according to the management, will be paid in the twelfth year during this year, which violates the law.
The group also announced it would cease providing services from January, giving only a few hours’ notice.
“Although the ‘executive committee’ employs dozens of consultants, advisors and directors at salaries well above the group average, increasing the company’s costs by more than two million euros,” the unions noted, “they say the company will not survive unless they make redundancies those whom the CEO [presidente executivo] doesn’t understand “how they can live on 800 euros a month.”
For workers, the management’s position represents “complete disrespect for the people who have kept the various group companies alive for years on last century salaries.”
Thus, in Porto, workers gather from 9:30 am next to the current headquarters of the Jornal de Notícias, and from 14:00 next to the historical and symbolic headquarters of the JN, this moment coinciding with the hour of solidarity proposed by the SJ to all journalists in the country to “demonstrate the importance of journalism in society.”
The workers will then head to General Humberto Delgado Square, where they will gather in front of the Porto City Council building.
In Lisbon, workers gather from 9 am on the steps of the Assembly of the Republic, and the Minister of Culture, Pedro Adan e Silva, in charge of social communications, gives clarification to the Committee for Culture, Communications, Youth and Sports from 10 am.
After the minister leaves, journalists, technicians and other workers head to the Lisbon Towers to gather for a demonstration, which will begin at 14:00 near the GMG headquarters.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Tifany Hawkins, a professional journalist with years of experience in news reporting. I currently work for a prominent news website and write articles for 24NewsReporters as an author. My primary focus is on economy-related stories, though I am also experienced in several other areas of journalism.