SYDNEY MUBAIWA
MASVINGO- The Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) has urged employers in the media industry to improve journalists’ salaries as they play an important role in society.
In a statement on Workers Day celebrations, ZUJ Secretary General Perfect Hlongwane said journalists have nothing to celebrate.
“Today as the World pauses to commemorate Workers’ Day – a date historically set aside to honour the dignity of labour and the dignity of workers – journalists and media workers in Zimbabwe find little to celebrate,” he said.
He argued that journalists, who play an essential role in informing citizens, are currently paid “dehumanising ” wages that cannot meet their basic needs.
“The reality on the ground is grim. Our members are enduring wages that are not just paltry but are dehumanising to say the least. Many journalists are earning far below the poverty datum line, some have gone for months without any pay, and across newsrooms, there is an alarming culture of disrespect and neglect by employers. These conditions are not only unjust, they are unsustainable.
“As ZUJ, we are aggrieved. The current state of affairs is a betrayal of the essential role journalists play in society. Journalism is a lifeblood of any democracy, yet those who keep society informed, scrutinize power, and serve the public interest are being treated as expendable.
“It is now painfully evident that we must confront and the urgent question of media sustainability as an industry and as a country if we fail to protect and invest in our media workers, we risk silencing vital voices and eroding the foundations of our democracy.
“ZUJ calls for immediate action for fair wages, respectful treatment and a national conversation on the callous exploitation of media workers by the capitalistic media employers,” he said.
Low wages and delays in payment of salaries are reportedly fueling brown envelope journalism among members of the media.
Last week, three journalists were been arraigned before the Harare Magistrates’ Court on charges of extortion.
