Fieg’s response to the Fnsi on the journalists’ strike

Contrary to what the union claims, over the last decade publishers have made huge investments to protect both the quality and freedom of information and journalistic employment.

In a dramatic context in which companies have recorded a halving of revenues, it has been possible to avoid layoffs through the use of sector regulations and this has always happened with the consent of the union.

In recent years, the business model of traditional media has had to compete with unfair competition from Over The Tops (such as Google, Meta and others) who economically exploit editorial content by retaining the majority of advertising revenues and data: this has weakened the financial sustainability of publishing companies which, however, have reacted with responsibility and rigour, taking up the challenge of innovation without drastic interventions.

Companies also want a new contract.

To face the current scenario, it is necessary to be able to promote innovation, seize the opportunities offered by technological evolution and the digital information system, with a cost system compatible with the new dynamics of the sector and the national employment contract should represent a competitiveness tool.

However, in these months of negotiations we found ourselves faced with a union that did not want to address either the issue of the overall modernization of an antiquated contract (which still provides for the payment of former holidays suppressed by a 1977 law) nor the introduction of more flexible rules to encourage the hiring of young people, preferring instead to limit themselves to exclusively economic requests aimed at recovering the alleged wage loss recorded in the last decade.

Although in the aforementioned period the recovery of inflation was guaranteed by the system of percentage increases envisaged by the contract, the Publishers offered an important economic recognition, higher than that granted in the last renewal of 2014, despite the absence of any type of contractual innovation.

With reference to collaborators, it should be remembered that companies act in full compliance with the compensation provided for in the 2014 agreement signed with the union. In this regard, the FIEG has constantly expressed its desire to improve the current contractual agreement but, also on this issue, an unavailability for discussion had to be noted.

As for artificial intelligence, it is reiterated that the solution cannot lie in the claim to introduce restrictive rules of use, destined to be quickly overcome, but rather an ethical approach is needed on the part of companies with the possibility of adopting Codes that protect both the journalistic profession and the readers.

To face the challenges of the immediate future, publishers are ready to do their part, continuing to invest in products and in enhancing professionalism and hope that the comparison can take place in more realistic terms and without prejudice.