Expedite media employment council
TICHAONA KATSVAMUTIMA
The Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) secretary general, Perfect Hlongwane, has called on stakeholders to expedite the process to establish a National Employment council for the media industry.
He made the remarks at the recent ZUJ Mashonaland West Media Awards held in Chinhoyi.
“We have for long been speaking about the creation of a National Employment Council and we haven’t managed to set one up. It is therefore critical that we move with speed to ensure that we bring it to life because there are numerous benefits that accrue just by having that establishment.
“The issue of poor remuneration and welfare of journalists has also gone for too long without tangible solutions. We think that creating a platform wherein we sit on an equal footing with employers and discuss employee welfare issues will ameliorate ethical erosion within the sector”, Hlongwane said.
He added: “We know that for us to be able to achieve this, there is need for buy-in from the employers and the government. In this regard we commend the stance taken by the government in its support for the creation of such a platform.”
Speaking at the same event, the deputy minister in the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Kindness Paradza said the government was committed to the creation of an employment council for the media industry as part of efforts to improve journalists’ condition of service.
“.…There is more that could be done to improve the condition of service. May I take this opportunity to say that as a Ministry in terms of your conditions of service we are going to work very hard so that we have an employment council for the media industry. So, we are seized with that,” Paradza said.
However, Paradza said his ministry was concerned with rising trend of fake news published by some online publications.
“This (emergence of online publications) is healthy especially in the spirit of diversity and plurality. We have been saddened, however, by their propensity to publish fake news.
“I would like to encourage you to remain ethical while discharging your duties and refrain from the practice of misinformation”, Paradza said.
He also said the government was committed to ensure the safety of journalists as Zimbabwe gears up for the 2023 elections.
