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Ivan Zhakata Herald Correspondent
DESPITE challenges, the National Employment Council for the Printing, Packaging and Newspaper Industry has said all journalists in the print media are adequately covered in terms of collective bargaining.
This comes amid reports that journalists were underpaid and therefore there is need to relook into their remuneration so that they discharge their duties professionally and ethically.
In an interview, NEC chief executive officer Mr Kudakwashe Sibanda said they were taking care of the welfare of journalists in the print media according to the legal statutes of the country.
Mr Sibanda said the NEC only covers journalists in the print media.
“As NEC for the printing industry, we state that all journalists in the print media are adequately covered in our scope of application in the collective bargaining agreement Statutory Instrument (S.I) 174 of 2012 and these classes of employees have been covered in 2006 and this coverage is promulgated in the S.I 69 of 2006 published on March 17, 2006,” he said.
“We, therefore, correct the misinformation that journalists in the print media are not covered as there are legal instruments in place covering them. This does not cater for freelance journalists, but does those who are employed by media organisations.
“We also cover independent contractors who are under print media organisations and not those who are writing for foreign media organisations. We have set figures in US dollars that journalists must be paid and we pay at the prevailing interbank rate, but most companies have asked for an exemption and they are paying their journalists in local currency equivalent to the interbank rate.”
Mr Sibanda said the welfare of journalists was well taken care of, but the economic challenges bedevilling the country were affecting everybody, including the journalists.
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