Fair Compensation Law: The Government Issues an (Unexpected) Halt

The unexpected halt to the bill on fair compensation has mobilized the Federazione Nazionale della Stampa (FNSI), the unified journalists’ union. In a press release issued today, the FNSI has expressed its full disappointment.

Here is the press release.

Fnsi: serious halt to the fair compensation law. Immediate and swift clarification required from the Government

“A good law on fair compensation for freelance journalists is the goal of the Fnsi, the sector’s union. The Government’s halt to the bill, currently under review by the Senate Labour Committee, is worrying because it casts a shadow over the previously expressed shared political will to define a law preventing abuse and ensuring fairness.

The need for further ‘examination’ and amendments by the Government announced by Deputy Labour Minister Michel Martone comes as a surprise; even more so because the same Government had already given the green light to the fair compensation provision with its own favourable opinion sent to the Chamber of Deputies. At this point, it is also unclear why some political parties have changed their stance after having approved the bill in the Chamber just a few days ago. For these reasons, the Fnsi is already calling for follow-up meetings with the representatives of the Parliamentary Groups.

Therefore, the Fnsi Executive Committee demands that a swift clarification be made and that a bill has become essential to ensure that freelance journalistic work is removed from forms of unfair and unjust compensation, and thus from exploitation and job insecurity.”