Zagreb, November 22, 2006
To: Swedish Trade Union of Journalists
Re. New information on Bonnier's behavior in Croatia
Dear Colleagues,
Just a month ago we informed you of some lay-offs in Bonnier's weekly magazine Business.hr, Croatia. Now, TUCJ has another unpleasant experience with Bonnier Company in Croatia.
This time, Bonnier's Business.hr magazine launched an advertisement on November 20, 2006 calling journalists to apply for work at the Internet Portal Business.hr. In order to attract journalists to apply for the job, they wrote the following:
«Do you want to work at the Business.hr Internet Portal?
Internet Portal Business.hr in search of journalists
We offer interesting job in a dynamic surrounding, adequate income and valuable experience of work in the web editorial room of the Business.hr, the leading business weekly in Croatia.
Conditions:
1. Age 18 – 27 years
2. Excellent knowledge of Internet (especially news searching on web), Windows, MS Office, English language (and other foreign languages)
3. High level of literacy
4. Knowledge of and interest in actual events in the field of economy, business, finance and stock exchange
Candidates may send their CV and one article/news text (more than 1000 characters) on above mentioned topics to the e-mail web: »
The advertisement containing age discriminating provision in point 1 attracted attention, and struck TUCJ violently! More so because just a month earlier, Businesss.hr management dismissed some 10 employees, journalists among them.
Who can believe that only journalists in the category of 18 – 27 years of age can have al these demanding experience, knowledge and skills - but the author of the advertisement? Does he/she believe that journalists in the category above 27 years cannot meet these demands!?
In fact, this discriminatory age limitation hints to the disturbing possibility that the employer intends to engage only regular students who can be kept in informal work arrangement and can be paid via students' contracts which is by far the cheapest way to pay someone's work. That is why the management made pressure on dismissed employees to sign consensual lay-offs. In this case the management prevents dismissed persons to put company to court. Also, according to Croatian Labor Law the company cannot employ new worker for the job of dismissed worker in the period of six months after his/her dismissal. But to take someone in informal freelance arrangement is not formal breech of the law.
TUCJ shop steward at Business.hr consulted TUCJ central office and pointed to unacceptability of age discrimination to the management. After that the editor-in-chief removed the discriminatory point 1 from the advertisement text. But, the management warned the TUCJ shop steward that TUCJ chapel's actions were not welcome and that TUCJ chapel should demonstrate more care and understanding for the company?!
We hope that interference of the management into the trade union matters will end there. Otherwise, TUCJ will be constrained to undertake legal actions, including call to the State Inspectorate to send inspectors to the Bonnier's Business.hr.
I hope you will inform Bonnier management in Sweden about this or provide us with contact names and addresses so we can do it ourselves.
Best regards,
Marinka Boljkovac
TUCJ Secretary