At least 36 press outlets in the country have joined the strike and another 12 are working partially, says the union
Portuguese journalists went on general strike on Thursday (14.Mar.2024). They are protesting against low salaries and demanding overtime pay. According to the Portuguese Journalists’ Union, at least 36 press outlets in the country have joined the strike and another 12 have partially suspended their activities. The action is expected to last 24 hours, until midnight on Friday (15.mar).
This is the first general strike by journalists in the country in over 40 years. According to the union, strikes in this category “are not covered by the need for minimum services” and any attempt to prevent or mitigate the strike is illegal. “Employers cannot replace striking workers or make other arrangements that limit their impact,” the union said in a statement.
An April 2023 survey carried out by the Journalists’ Union, Casa da Imprensa and the Portuguese Press Association with 860 professionals in the sector indicated that Portugal had 5,300 journalists at the time, 40% of whom were women. The average age of the profession is 44. Here is the full study (PDF – 8 MB).
The official working hours for professionals vary from 35 to 40 hours a week, but the number of hours worked exceeds 40. The average salary is €1,225.
Also according to the report, mass layoffs, unemployment, temporary contracts, low salaries and unpaid internships jeopardize journalistic activity, which is one of the pillars of democracy.
“There is a clear conflict between the goals, objectives and results required of journalists and the time, quality and training with which they can carry out these tasks. There is an abysmal dissociation between the nature of the work and the speed demanded by managers. There are therefore obvious risks to mental health: overload, ethical conflicts, degradation of the quality of work, etc.,” the survey found.
The crisis in the sector was intensified in 2023 with the announcement of layoffs and wage arrears for employees of GMG (Global Media Group), one of the largest media groups present in Portugal. Read more in this article.
