Controversial Job Cuts at Radikal Newspaper

Even before the official announcement of the redundancies at Radikal newspaper on 28 June, rumours had been rife. But when editors Ismet Berkan and Erdal Güven announced that 41 people would be fired, everyone reacted with shock.

Newspaper employees are unconvinced by speculations of the economic necessity of sacking so many journalists. They believe that "there is something behind this".

Those concerned applied to the Turkey Journalists' Syndicate (TGS) and informed themselves about their legal rights. Some also hired a lawyer, Rana Yilmaz.

A forum discussing the media community was organised and attended by around 50 journalists. It was decided at the forum to print a one-page newspaper describing the recent developments, to form a platform of press organizations, to communicate with the readers, and to start a campaign among intellectuals and columnists to draw attention to the problem.

Radikal writers have drawn attention to the fact that those sacked are left with financial worries, having to pay for rent, for child care, some of them pregnant. Finding new work will be difficult in the current climate of lay-offs.

Show TV also sacks reporters

Meanwhile, the private Show TV channel has sacked 11 reporters from its news centre. The justification for the redundancies was that the length of the news programmes had been cut, and there was thus too much staff.

The reporters were informed of their dismissal by telephone in the evening of Monday, 2 July.

bianet has been informed that the reporters were told that they would only receive compensation if they resigned voluntarily. "If we sack you, we will not pay you compensation because you will go to court anyway".

The reporters then signed resignation letters in order to receive the compensation payment.

It is rumoured that Show TV is planning to dismiss a total of 40 people in the near future.

Reporters advised to seek legal advice

Lawyer Rana Yilmaz, who has been hired by some of the dismissed Radikal journalists, has said that it is unacceptable to force people to resign:

* When someone resigns, they lose the right to get their job back, as well as the right to go to court.

* A person who has resigned cannot apply for unemployment benefits

Yılmaz advises the reporters to seek expert legal advice before signing any documents. Otherwise, uninformed employees may sign away their rights to seek redress. Consulting a lawyer also gains the employees time.

In addition, journalists and reporters are advised to consult the Turkey Journalists' Syndicate (TGS).

Yılmaz also argued that employees should not be cowed by the perceived might of their employers. Collective action was important, and each case would set a precedent for future cases. (TK/AG/EÜ)

* This article is partly based on an article written by a group of Radikal journalists.