Sindikat novinarjev Slovenije

Slovenian Union of Journalists

Sindikat novinarjev Slovenije / Wolfova 8 / Ljubljana 1000 / Slovenia

Tel./Fax: + 386 1 426 03 66
e-mail:     sns@siol.net
www:       http://sindikat.novinar.com

President              Iztok Jurančič
Vice president       Aleš Mišič
Secretary               Ljuba Babič-Košir

The purposes and goals of the journalists' representative trade union are the same today as they were at the time of its founding (6th March 1990) and are stated in its charter:

free flow of information and ideas;
compliance with the provisions of the national collective agreement for professional journalists;
protecting material, social and cultural interests of journalists;
protecting the autonomy and integrity of journalism;
protecting the rights of employees: proper wages, social and health conditions etc.;
strengthening solidarity among union members;
taking part in creating editorial policies and decisions, related to human resources;
proper conditions for professional development and further training.

To achieve those (and other) goals, the Union:

represents its members in relation to media management and owners, state institutions and other organisations; provides free legal assistance and support to its members in disputes between employees and employers; negotiates on behalf of its members on the bases of the Union’s constitution, the general rules of trade unions, measures and programs, adopted by the Slovenian Union of journalists, and on the bases of collective agreement for professional journalists; monitors compliance with the collective agreement by the media enterprises and immediately takes action if breaches of the agreement occur; organises mutual assistance among members; organises labour strikes, if necessary.

Towards a revision of media policy in Slovenija

Sep.2008...The guidelines for implementing changes to structural, legislative and control mechanisms within the field of media policy...More here.

Human Rights Press Point

January 2008... Slovenian Union of Journalists is among the NGO's that participate in the project launched by the Ljubljana Peace Institute. The Human Rights Press Point – information platform for human rights situation in Slovenia was established as a special information office operating in the City Hotel in Ljubljana and on the web at www.humanrightspoint.si, to serve the interests of foreign journalists during the Slovenian EU Presidency 2008...
More here

Social and professional situation of Slovenian journalists

The European Fedration of Journalists has expressed deep concern over the situation in Slovenia, manily due to the deterioration of social standards in journalism, intrusions of authorities, direct interference by management into journalists' work and various measures aimed at instigating self-censorship and a lack of critical analyses of the authorities. More details are available in the statement about growing pressures on Slovenian journalists, adopted in March 2007 by the EFJ General Meeting in Zagreb.

Similar observations were made by the EFJ in 2006: "Political pressures on editorial autonomy through state ownership or through changes in supervisory boards in the media are transmitted to the uncertainty and hard distress, worsened by the fact that social dialogue has nearly been brought to a standstill." Please read the statement here.

A general overview of the situation in media and journalism in Slovenia, prepared by the Slovenian Union of Journalists in February 2007 for the Freelance and Labour Rights expert groups of the EFJ can be dowloaded here.

In January 2008, the vice-president of the SUJ submitted a commissioned article titled 'Slovenian media battles' to the German monthly Journalist. The article summarises the background of major professional issues for journalists in Slovenia, including media ownership and the influence of the state. The article does not represent official standpoints of the Slovenian Journalists' Union. It can be dowloaded here.

Some events and developments in Slovenian media are reflected in the statements and protests of Slovenian journalists' professional organisations. You can read them following the links below.

Calling for an appology of the Mayor of Koper for his verbal attack

Oct. 2006 ... The Slovene Association of Journalists (SAJ) and the Union of Slovene Journalists (USJ) responded to the conduct of the Mayor of the Municipality of Koper, Boris Popovič who verbally attacked a journalist of Primorske novice. Municipality representatives are justifying the unacceptable behaviour of Mayor Popovič by continuing their attacks on the journalist Petra Vidrih. The SAJ and USJ have sent an open letter to the Mayor, expressing their expectation that Boris Popovič will unequivocally apologise to the journalist, who was only carrying out her duties within the framework of professional journalistic standards and ethics... More here.

A demand for an end to encroachments on the rights of a TV Slovenija journalist

Dec. 2006 ... Letter to the editor-in-chief of the News Programme of TV Slovenija about his actions in the case of Vida Petrovčič that are "a threat to the independent performance of work, as determined by the regulations currently in force, of other RTV Slovenija journalists, as it opens up a way for informal procedures and measures to be instigated against journalists without them being given an opportunity to object and defend themselves using the available legal means"... More here.

Withdrawal of three members of the Programme Council of RTV Slovenija

Dec. 2006 ... Professional associations regret the withdrawal of three members of the Programme Council, but understand their decision and assessment that due to the way decisions are adopted and sessions conducted they cannot guarantee for legitimacy and legality any longer with their own participation in the Council... More here.

Threats to editorial independence and existence of Primorske novice

March 2007 ... The paper has become disturbing for subjects of economic and political interests that have been coming into conflict with the interest of the public to be informed – and therefore in conflict with journalists who try to autonomously gather, check and disclose relevant information to the public... More here.

Journalists' organisations condemn the premature recall of two Slovene correspondents of Delo

April 2007 ... European Federation of Journalists, Austrian Trade Union of Journalists, Croatian Journalists' Association, Trade Union of Croatian Journalists, Slovene Association of Journalists, Slovenian Union of Journalists and Foreign correspondents club of Croatia express serious concenr over the premature recall of two foreign correspondents of Slovene daily paper Delo, namely Matija Grah, correspondent from Vienna and Rok Kajzer, correspondent from Zagreb. The management of Delo has also initiated a unjustified formal procedure for the termination of employment contract - officialy "for reasons of incapacity". In their commentaries and opinion articles both correspondents represented opinions that were frequently different from official viewpoints of Slovene foreign ministry... More here.

Unconstitutional threats to the activities of journalists' organisations

May 2007 ... The management of Delo is trying to crush the in-house journalist organizations by resorting to a legally and evidentially unsubstantiated threat to their representatives, unconstitutionally and unlawfully rendering it impossible for them to carry out their basic functions... More here.

Current issues discussed by the executive board of the Slovenian Union of Journalists

July 2007 ... Calling upon publishers to immediately continue negotiations on the collective agreeement, expressing support to the forced freelancers working for Primorske novice, condemning the manager's interference in editorial autonomy and announcing a more efficient organising of freelance journalists... More here.

Disregard for editorial autonomy at Radio Slovenija

July 2007 ... The Slovene Union and Association of journalists protest against the latest events at Radio Slovenija that expose an alarmingly low level of respect for editorial autonomy and other basic democratic standards for the functioning of the media. The director of Radio Slovenija terminated cooperation with a regular member of the editorial board of Val 202. The direct cause for the termination of the journalists' contract with immediate effect was her statement that was deemed “unacceptable” by the director. The editor-in-chief could not agree with the directors’ decision and his argumentation and therefore offered his resignation... More here.

The management of Delo is tailoring justice outside the courtroom

July 2007 ... The management is trying to ensure the complete destruction of journalists' legal security, sanctioning journalists' opinions and views by resorting to methods that are not in accordance with the Media Act or the Employment Relations Act. Journalists' organizations are appalled by the psychological abuse, the exploitation and creation of existential crisis that is threatening the journalist Matija Grah, and the defamation of his name... More here.

Interference in editorial decisions by the management of Slovenian Press Agency

July 2007 ... The Management Committee and the Executive Board of the Slovene Association and Union of Journalists protest against the interference in editorial decisions by the General Manager of the SPA, concluding that current actions by the SPA leadership are damaging the reputation of this agency and may reduce the trust of the users of its services... More here.

Protest against the continued persecution of a Delo journalist

Aug. 2007 ... The journalists’ organisations have established that the management of Delo d.d. is continuing with the persecution and intimidation of journalists with regard to their expression of opinions and views, in spite of the assurance given by the recently appointed Chair of Delo’s Supervisory Board, Andrijana Starina Kosem, that things would be very different... More here.

In September and October 2007, 571 journalists signed the Petition against censorship and political pressures on journalists in Slovenia, initiated by two Slovenian journalists.

Expressions of support for the Petition came from two major associations, namely the European Federation of Journalists and International Press Institute. The European Federation of Journalists supported the petition. The first press release is available here. In November, the EFJ called on Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša to enter into dialogue with journalists over media problems. The statement available here.

International Press Institute called for an independent inquiry into the allegations. Their press release is available here, and a similar call by Reporters Without Borders is published here.

Public call to the National Assembly and the Government of the Republic of Slovenia
Oct. 2007 ... The Slovene Association of Journalists and the Union of Slovene Journalists are appealing to the Government and National Assembly to seriously address the set of problems highlighted in the Petition Against Censorship... More here.

Journalists say Slovenia Fails Test of Leadership in European Union over Press Freedom

Jan. 2008 ... The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) accused the Slovenian government of trying to spin its way out of trouble within the European Union over controversial claims that it is interfering in press freedom at home... More here.

	INFO KDO JE KDO DOKUMENTI PRAVNA POMOČ ZAKONODAJA INFO IZ MEDIJEV ČLANSTVO POVEZAVE ARHIV ENGLISH PIŠITE NAM	English Slovenian Union of Journalists Sindikat novinarjev Slovenije / Wolfova 8 / Ljubljana 1000 / Slovenia Tel./Fax: + 386 1 426 03 66 e-mail: sns@siol.net www: http://sindikat.novinar.com President Iztok Jurančič Vice president Aleš Mišič Secretary Ljuba Babič-Košir The purposes and goals of the journalists' representative trade union are the same today as they were at the time of its founding (6th March 1990) and are stated in its charter: free flow of information and ideas; compliance with the provisions of the national collective agreement for professional journalists; protecting material, social and cultural interests of journalists; protecting the autonomy and integrity of journalism; protecting the rights of employees: proper wages, social and health conditions etc.; strengthening solidarity among union members; taking part in creating editorial policies and decisions, related to human resources; proper conditions for professional development and further training. To achieve those (and other) goals, the Union: represents its members in relation to media management and owners, state institutions and other organisations; provides free legal assistance and support to its members in disputes between employees and employers; negotiates on behalf of its members on the bases of the Union’s constitution, the general rules of trade unions, measures and programs, adopted by the Slovenian Union of journalists, and on the bases of collective agreement for professional journalists; monitors compliance with the collective agreement by the media enterprises and immediately takes action if breaches of the agreement occur; organises mutual assistance among members; organises labour strikes, if necessary. Towards a revision of media policy in Slovenija Sep.2008...The guidelines for implementing changes to structural, legislative and control mechanisms within the field of media policy...More here. Human Rights Press Point January 2008... Slovenian Union of Journalists is among the NGO's that participate in the project launched by the Ljubljana Peace Institute. The Human Rights Press Point – information platform for human rights situation in Slovenia was established as a special information office operating in the City Hotel in Ljubljana and on the web at www.humanrightspoint.si, to serve the interests of foreign journalists during the Slovenian EU Presidency 2008... More here Social and professional situation of Slovenian journalists The European Fedration of Journalists has expressed deep concern over the situation in Slovenia, manily due to the deterioration of social standards in journalism, intrusions of authorities, direct interference by management into journalists' work and various measures aimed at instigating self-censorship and a lack of critical analyses of the authorities. More details are available in the statement about growing pressures on Slovenian journalists, adopted in March 2007 by the EFJ General Meeting in Zagreb. Similar observations were made by the EFJ in 2006: "Political pressures on editorial autonomy through state ownership or through changes in supervisory boards in the media are transmitted to the uncertainty and hard distress, worsened by the fact that social dialogue has nearly been brought to a standstill." Please read the statement here. A general overview of the situation in media and journalism in Slovenia, prepared by the Slovenian Union of Journalists in February 2007 for the Freelance and Labour Rights expert groups of the EFJ can be dowloaded here. In January 2008, the vice-president of the SUJ submitted a commissioned article titled 'Slovenian media battles' to the German monthly Journalist. The article summarises the background of major professional issues for journalists in Slovenia, including media ownership and the influence of the state. The article does not represent official standpoints of the Slovenian Journalists' Union. It can be dowloaded here. Some events and developments in Slovenian media are reflected in the statements and protests of Slovenian journalists' professional organisations. You can read them following the links below. Calling for an appology of the Mayor of Koper for his verbal attack Oct. 2006 ... The Slovene Association of Journalists (SAJ) and the Union of Slovene Journalists (USJ) responded to the conduct of the Mayor of the Municipality of Koper, Boris Popovič who verbally attacked a journalist of Primorske novice. Municipality representatives are justifying the unacceptable behaviour of Mayor Popovič by continuing their attacks on the journalist Petra Vidrih. The SAJ and USJ have sent an open letter to the Mayor, expressing their expectation that Boris Popovič will unequivocally apologise to the journalist, who was only carrying out her duties within the framework of professional journalistic standards and ethics... More here. *A demand for an end to encroachments on the rights of a TV Slovenija* journalist** Dec. 2006 ... Letter to the editor-in-chief of the News Programme of TV Slovenija about his actions in the case of Vida Petrovčič that are "a threat to the independent performance of work, as determined by the regulations currently in force, of other RTV Slovenija journalists, as it opens up a way for informal procedures and measures to be instigated against journalists without them being given an opportunity to object and defend themselves using the available legal means"... More here. Withdrawal of three members of the Programme Council of RTV Slovenija Dec. 2006 ... Professional associations regret the withdrawal of three members of the Programme Council, but understand their decision and assessment that due to the way decisions are adopted and sessions conducted they cannot guarantee for legitimacy and legality any longer with their own participation in the Council... More here. Threats to editorial independence and existence of Primorske novice March 2007 ... The paper has become disturbing for subjects of economic and political interests that have been coming into conflict with the interest of the public to be informed – and therefore in conflict with journalists who try to autonomously gather, check and disclose relevant information to the public... More here. Journalists' organisations condemn the premature recall of two Slovene correspondents of Delo April 2007 ... European Federation of Journalists, Austrian Trade Union of Journalists, Croatian Journalists' Association, Trade Union of Croatian Journalists, Slovene Association of Journalists, Slovenian Union of Journalists and Foreign correspondents club of Croatia express serious concenr over the premature recall of two foreign correspondents of Slovene daily paper Delo, namely Matija Grah, correspondent from Vienna and Rok Kajzer, correspondent from Zagreb. The management of Delo has also initiated a unjustified formal procedure for the termination of employment contract - officialy "for reasons of incapacity". In their commentaries and opinion articles both correspondents represented opinions that were frequently different from official viewpoints of Slovene foreign ministry... More here. Unconstitutional threats to the activities of journalists' organisations May 2007 ... The management of Delo is trying to crush the in-house journalist organizations by resorting to a legally and evidentially unsubstantiated threat to their representatives, unconstitutionally and unlawfully rendering it impossible for them to carry out their basic functions... More here. Current issues discussed by the executive board of the Slovenian Union of Journalists July 2007 ... Calling upon publishers to immediately continue negotiations on the collective agreeement, expressing support to the forced freelancers working for Primorske novice, condemning the manager's interference in editorial autonomy and announcing a more efficient organising of freelance journalists... More here. Disregard for editorial autonomy at Radio Slovenija July 2007 ... The Slovene Union and Association of journalists protest against the latest events at Radio Slovenija that expose an alarmingly low level of respect for editorial autonomy and other basic democratic standards for the functioning of the media. The director of Radio Slovenija terminated cooperation with a regular member of the editorial board of Val 202. The direct cause for the termination of the journalists' contract with immediate effect was her statement that was deemed “unacceptable” by the director. The editor-in-chief could not agree with the directors’ decision and his argumentation and therefore offered his resignation... More here. *The management of Delo* is tailoring justice outside the courtroom** July 2007 ... The management is trying to ensure the complete destruction of journalists' legal security, sanctioning journalists' opinions and views by resorting to methods that are not in accordance with the Media Act or the Employment Relations Act. Journalists' organizations are appalled by the psychological abuse, the exploitation and creation of existential crisis that is threatening the journalist Matija Grah, and the defamation of his name... More here. Interference in editorial decisions by the management of Slovenian Press Agency July 2007 ... The Management Committee and the Executive Board of the Slovene Association and Union of Journalists protest against the interference in editorial decisions by the General Manager of the SPA, concluding that current actions by the SPA leadership are damaging the reputation of this agency and may reduce the trust of the users of its services... More here. *Protest against the continued persecution of a Delo* journalist** Aug. 2007 ... The journalists’ organisations have established that the management of Delo d.d. is continuing with the persecution and intimidation of journalists with regard to their expression of opinions and views, in spite of the assurance given by the recently appointed Chair of Delo’s Supervisory Board, Andrijana Starina Kosem, that things would be very different... More here. In September and October 2007, 571 journalists signed the Petition against censorship and political pressures on journalists in Slovenia, initiated by two Slovenian journalists. Expressions of support for the Petition came from two major associations, namely the European Federation of Journalists and International Press Institute. The European Federation of Journalists supported the petition. The first press release is available here. In November, the EFJ called on Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša to enter into dialogue with journalists over media problems. The statement available here. International Press Institute called for an independent inquiry into the allegations. Their press release is available here, and a similar call by Reporters Without Borders is published here. Public call to the National Assembly and the Government of the Republic of Slovenia Oct. 2007 ... The Slovene Association of Journalists and the Union of Slovene Journalists are appealing to the Government and National Assembly to seriously address the set of problems highlighted in the Petition Against Censorship... More here. Journalists say Slovenia Fails Test of Leadership in European Union over Press Freedom Jan. 2008 ... The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) accused the Slovenian government of trying to spin its way out of trouble within the European Union over controversial claims that it is interfering in press freedom at home... More here.