Today marks the third day of strike action for journalists belonging to the Italian National Press Federation. We publish the union's press release in full, followed by the response from the Italian Federation of Newspaper Publishers (FIEG).

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Fnsi press release

Italian journalists are striking today for the third time. We don't do this lightly, but we believe it's necessary to inform readers, society, and politicians of what's happening in our sector, which is as crucial to democracy as it is fragile. The contract signed with Fieg publishers to regulate the work of employed journalists expired 10 years ago, years during which publishers enjoyed public aid, while our salaries were eroded by inflation. There are no rules governing the use of artificial intelligence or fair compensation for the authors of content sold to over-the-top publishers. And things are even worse for the thousands of freelance and self-employed colleagues who have been waiting years for their fair compensation to be determined, and who therefore have incomes below the poverty line. Publishers have secured cuts in labor costs by resorting to contractual dumping practices through the excessive use of precarious work. With our work and daily sacrifices, we are the majority shareholders of many publishing companies. For the National Federation of the Italian Press, the dignity and future of information depends on contract renewal, wage recovery, and the defense of rights. These rights are not privileges, but rather the means by which we can resist threats, both inside and outside the newsroom. The dignity of our work has a significant impact on the quality of information reaching you, the citizens. This is why we also believe the sector must be funded more and better, and that funding should not lead to the destruction and degradation of information, but should instead bring revenue to the publications. We journalists are ready to discuss and engage with this issue. But what about publishers?

National Federation of the Italian Press