MOGADISHU, Somalia 30 May, 2021 – Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) welcomed 16 journalists from Risaala Media Corporation to join as union members, paving the way for negotiations of the journalists’ collective bargaining agreement (CBA) in a step forward to improving the working conditions of the journalists.
Risaala Media Corporation is among the reputable media organizations and has been in operation for more than a decade now. Risaala is also a leading member of the Somali Media Association (SOMA).
On Sunday, the Secretary General of Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS), Abdalle Ahmed Mumin, union officials and representatives from Risaala Media Corporation observed the election of the trade union representative where a veteran journalist, Abduqadir Mohamed Nur, has been elected as SJS representative beating his contender, Rahma Mohamed Sheikh, with eight votes out of 12 votes casted.
“We are glad to witness another milestone towards accelerating our union membership in a bid to promote the rights of our members and the press freedom situation in the country. We welcome our new members from Risaala Media Corporation, whose memberships have been approved after the requirements were met,” said Secretary General, Abdalle Ahmed Mumin.
“We also commend the democratic election of our colleague journalist, Abduqadir Mohamed Nur, as the shop steward for Risaala Media Corporation. I hope that, with his extensive experience, he will represent and defend the interests of his fellow employees in behalf of SJS,” added Mr. Mumin.
Hassan Abdi Ahmed, the head of human resources for Risaala Media Corporation thanked SJS leadership for approving the membership applications of his team and underlined the need for a joint front to defend the rights of the journalists.
“Risaala Media Corporation is not only a media company; we are on the forefront in defending press freedom and the freedom of expression in Somalia. On behalf of Risaala Media Corporation, we are glad to work with SJS on many fronts including to ensure better working conditions for journalists and to provide more professional trainings to our employees,” he added.
SJS and Risaala Media Corporation will jointly work on several aspects including, but not limited to, improving the working conditions through a collective bargaining agreement, in-house trainings for journalists, editors and newsroom staff as well as improving safety mechanisms for journalists.