PRESS STATEMENT

FESOJ held one-day advocacy meeting with media owners and managers in Mogadishu

Mogadishu, Thursday, February 22, 2024:The Federation of Somali Journalists (FESOJ) has concluded today one- day advocacy meeting with media owners and managers in Mogadishu in connection with the training of new trusted persons.

The advocacy meeting intending to further raise the awareness and understanding of the media managers and owners in regard with the need to advocate for further improving the labour rights and working conditions for the trusted persons in the media sector has been held on Thursday February 22, 2024 at Sahafi Hotel in Mogadishu city, Somalia.

Members from the Trusted Persons Committee were also in attendance of the advocacy conference.

In his welcoming opening speech, Farah Omar Nur, Secretary General of FESOJ indicated to have discussed the labour rights and safety situations of the media workers last year with the directors of ten media stations operational in Mogadishu directors.

"It’s our intention to start this year 2024 with an advocacy meeting with the media owners and managers on the significance of entering employment contract agreement with the journalists replacing with the practice of making gentle agreement with the media workers. There is the need to maintain training the new trusted persons to replace those who left their stations to address the disputes that may arise at the media stations.” Farah Omar Nur stated.

As guest speaker, Abdirisaq Moalim Elmi, Head of Tade Union, Ministry of labour and Social Affairs of the Federal Republic of Somalia explained the Trade Union to be united and an organized association of workers in a public or private trade established to defend their rights and interests. He added the labour trade union plays role in addressing the disputes between the employee and the employer.

"There is need to conduct awareness raising for the members of the labour rights trade union, strengthen their capacities and allocate funding support to improve their development.” Abdirisaq M. Elmi added.

In brief reminder for the meeting, Ahmed Ali Mohamed Sharif, senior media trainer explained the procedure of employment on the bases of labour rights and how the employer and the employee could work together.

He further detailed the nine elements of the human resources policy, managerial skills needed and labour rights principles.

On his part, Ahmed Tifow, Chairman of the Trusted Persons Committee explained the challenges faced by the media workers at the media stations and mentioned that most of the journalists are without written contract, not receive salaries regularly and some journalists are lacking capacity building training programs.

In subsequent discussions on the challenges the media workers are facing, the media manages explained that most of the journalists are on continuous move from one station to another stations, so it’s not possible to give contracts to those journalists that are always on the move.

The media managers further explained sometimes it happens the journalists do not regularly receive their monthly salaries, and some are certainly facing a lack of training programs to improve their professional skills.

Furthermore, Wali Hashi , VIKES representative attending the advocacy gathering has commended the gathering pointing out that its good initiative and step forward to have such advocacy meeting for the media owners and managers to promote the labour rights and working conditions for the trusted persons journalists in the media sector.

On his part, Mohamed Mohamud Adde, senior media expert has voiced the need for the media managers to come up with the integrity and responsibility to advance the justice and care for the working journalists’ rights.

In conclusion, Farah Omar Nur, Secretary General called the media managers attending the meeting to cooperate in the efforts to maintain improving the journalists’ working conditions at the workplaces and protecting their labour rights

End

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