BaZ editorial office: 8 jobs to be cut
There had already been speculation in the Sunday press about possible job cuts at the Basler Zeitung (BaZ). On Monday, the media company announced that a total of eight editorial positions would be eliminated.
Due to the economic situation, restructuring measures will be introduced at Basler Zeitung Medien (BZM) and eight jobs will be cut in the BaZ editorial department, according to a communiqué on Monday. In order to secure the refinancing of Basler Zeitung Medien and to present a balanced budget to the banks, additional cost savings are unavoidable, it said. A voluntary social plan has been drawn up for the eight people affected. It is to be implemented as quickly as possible. There were no details. "Apart from this communiqué, no further information will be provided!" the statement said. Already in the last months, larger reduction steps were carried out in the printing center, publishing house as well as at Birkhäuser + GBC.
Syndicom demands immediate halt to dismissals
Following the announcement of further job cuts, the Syndicom trade union is calling for an immediate halt to layoffs. In a communiqué, the union also calls again for transparency in the ownership structure. Syndicom had already sent a letter with this request to Moritz Suter on February 10. The editorial team and the public have a right to transparency. If unknown financiers determine the course of a newspaper, the democratic formation of opinion is in danger.
Also, the social plan is the one that was concluded two years ago. The union considers this problematic for two reasons. Conditions have changed dramatically in the past two years, especially in the crisis-ridden journalism labor market. In addition, it is a question of decency to offer the dismissed employees negotiations with the involvement of the unions. Another thorn in Syndicom's side is Moritz Suter's fundraising campaign for the Basel Theater. Last Saturday, Suter announced that millions were being collected so that the theater would not have to cut jobs.
On the same topic in Advertising Week:
BaZ: Further job cuts - Tettamanti's commitment purely business-related
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