The Union of Journalists calls on shareholders to dissolve the GMG executive committee

The Union of Journalists (SJ) is calling on shareholders to dissolve the executive committee of Global Media Group (GMG) following an exchange of recriminations over the group’s current financial position.

“The Union of Journalists regrets that shareholders are making public statements questioning the actions of the EC. [Comissão Executiva]which seem harmful to the interests of GMG and its employees, instead of taking action and doing the minimum that is required at the moment – to remove José Paulo Fafe and his team from the management of GMG while GMG still exists,” says SJ in a statement published on his website.

The union structure is concerned about the exchange of accusations and threats between the executive committee and the majority shareholders of Global Media Group (GMG) when workers are not receiving December salaries, Christmas bonuses and service providers without payments due to them. .

SJ regrets that GMG’s Executive Committee (EC) is “more concerned with defending against shareholders and counter-attacking shareholders than with solving the financial problems it claims for the group, leaving workers first without Christmas bonuses and now without December bonuses.” deadline,” he confirms.

The union says it is “disturbing and baffling” that some of the green slips have received the pay they are owed for October, while others continue to wait for money owed to them for work completed three months ago.

Also “alarming” is the position of the EC, led by José Paulo Fafe, aimed at opposing everything and everyone, as well as the acquired habit of not paying salaries to those who work.

The union structure expects the EC to explain where the money is as the group continues to operate, sell advertising, negotiate contracts, provide services and sell newspapers every day.

“The revenues are coming in, so there is an urgent need to explain where the money is and why it is not reaching the workers or the various suppliers who are cutting off essential services almost every day for the operation of various newspapers and GMG companies, threatening not only the survival of the group as a company, but also the pluralism and the diversity of Portuguese journalism,” he adds.

At the same time, SJ is open to dialogue with the leaders of all groups and the media and reminds that “that’s exactly what he did when the new GMG structure came to power.”

However, the announcement of investment and strengthening of resources was followed by the “complete degradation” of the Global Media Group, so SJ “can’t help but feel deceived that he has not yet been contacted by GMG management to explain how to get around the situation.”

The union calls on the Social Communications Regulatory Authority (ERC) to use all legal mechanisms at its disposal to stop the activities of the Executive Commission, “in defense of one of the most important media groups in Portugal, in the name of pluralism and diversity of journalism.” something the country cannot do without.”

On Saturday, GMG EC said it would continue to review all transactions and businesses to determine what led to the group’s current financial position.

The editors of Diário de Notícias (DN), Jornal de Notícias (JN), TSF and O Jogo on Friday approved a strike on January 10, 2024, after the group’s administration on Thursday informed workers that they were unable to pay salaries for December, saying that the financial situation is “extremely serious.”

Also on Thursday, the government expressed confusion over GMG’s reported financial difficulties, recalling the new shareholder’s intention to “invest in journalism” when it joined the group.