FESOJ’s advocacy seminar media owners and managers.
Mogadishu, Sunday, July 2, 2023: The Federation of Somali Journalists (FESOJ) has concluded today- a day advocacy meeting with ten media directors and owners from the various media outlets operational in Mogadishu.
Somali Journalists (FESOJ) conducted a one-day meeting today to raise awareness and understanding among media managers and owners about the importance of advocating for improved labour rights and working conditions for media personnel. The meeting occurred on Sunday, July 2, 2023, at Sahafi Hotel in Mogadishu, Somalia.
During his opening remarks, Farah Omar Nur, Secretary General of FESOJ, emphasized the need for media managers to cooperate in improving the labour rights of media workers and establishing employment agreements with them.
“We need the support of the media directors and owners in the efforts of providing training for the new trusted persons that are replacing those who has left some of the media stations. The trusted persons are not from FESOJ, but they are trained journalists at the workplaces. There is need to exchange recommendations towards improving the journalists’ working conditions and protecting their labour rights.” Farah Omar informed the media managers attending the meeting.
In a brief presentation, Ahmed Ali Mohamed Sharif, a senior media trainer, outlined the procedure of employment based on labour rights and emphasized the collaborative relationship between employers and employees. He also detailed nine elements related to human resources policy, including equal opportunities and diversity, terms and conditions, selection and recruitment, performance management, grievance procedures, staff development, disciplinary procedures, health and safety, and prevention of bullying and harassment.
Throughout the meeting, discussions revolved around the application of human resource policies in media stations and the challenges associated with their implementation. Some media managers indicated that these policies were not consistently followed, as employees sometimes left their positions without proper notice and certain employers did not respect working hours or provide proper contracts. It was suggested that media managers should receive training to enhance their understanding of labour rights matters.
In conclusion, the media managers were informed that labour rights training for the new trusted individuals would take place on Tuesday, July 4, 2023. This training aims to fill the gaps left by personnel who have left certain media houses. The newly trained trusted individuals will represent the journalist employees at their respective workplaces and address labour rights issues and disputes between employees and employers. The advocacy meeting is part of the programme activities funded by EU, supported by FPU and implemented by FESOJ/VIKES.
