Media coverage of the trade union activity

1. Media coverage of the trade union activity Zhana Popova

2. Cases • - the discussions between the social partners about changes in the Labour Code (with a different political composition in the Parliament) and the talks about the budget each year with the different governments. • - a single case – the longest strike of the teachers in Bulgaria – in 2007

3. 4 newspapers The main measurement was the number of copies the newspapers were selling. Attention to two of the newspapers, which have their own features connected with the topic. • - “Trud” • - “Capital”

4. Newspaper “Trud” • “Trud” entered its 74th year. Its birthday is 1st march, the date when the first issue ot “Trud” appeared in 1963, body of the Bulgarian Workers Union. This union is state-owned. The newspaper adds that by the end of 1988 the member of politburo Grisha Philipov insists that “Trud” be stopped because it is “opposition”. He became a prophet: when in February 1989 the union “Podkrepa” is created only “Trud” tells about it in “A caused report” on a whole page” • www.trud.bg/AboutUs.asp.

5. The new “Trud” • The newspaper connects its opposition activities against the totalitarian regime with the covering of the union activity of KT “Podkrepa”. • The political bond of the previous unions in Bulgaria during the totalitarian governance before 1990 is the reason for negative attitudes in parts of the society and suspicion towards the unions, which some newspapers often create in the last 20 years

6. “Capital” • The business oriented newspaper has another unique trait – one of the publishers who in a certain moment was part of the owners of the media is chairman of the Union of employers in Bulgaria (UEB) – Ivo Prokopiev. How the newspaper finds the balance when representing all the stances with social conflicts?

7. The period – 2000-2010 • Two processes: • The first is the restructuring and the privatization as economic processes • The second is the pre-association policy and the association of Bulgaria to the EU (officially joined 1st January 2007)

8. Results • Decisions are taken secretly– during the night The media more often pay attention to the shape of the negations between social partners during the discussions about changes in the Labour Code or with the discussions of the next budget, than the decisions themselves.

9. The images of the trade unions The unions are represented as incredibly powerful towards the government and the employers’ organizations – especially before elections. You can find suggestions about “powerful voices”, about secure votes from the union structures during the next elections.

10. The social ministers are “our” The unions nominate social ministers (this is especially stressed in “Capital”’s texts, but it exists in the other issues as well). A thesis which by the way is supported not only through comments and analysis, but also through interviews with union leaders.

11. “Union voices” vs. “Business voices” Apart from “union voices”, the issues start to talk about “business voices” during elections. They talk about the coercion of the employees to choose between their working place and a vote for the named candidate. There is not place to debate about the quality of work in the country. In fact the absent talk on that topic.

12. What do media see as quality of work? • During the ten year period the newspapers talk mainly about • the well-being work, • safety and health security of the employees (especially after 2002 and 2003).

13. In 2001 the quality of works depends on a car and a mobile phone In 2001 according to the newspaper “Capital” the changes in the Labour Code will make all the firms in a certain sector give mobile phones or cars to their employees even if one firm does that. The mobile phone is not seen as the means that lead to a result but as an extra for the worker.

14. Bigger wages Media creates the impression that unions do not care and stand for the rights of the workers only in one case or mainly when it comes to bigger wages in certain sectors or when the wages are not paid. Even if the unions have other requests they are not a priority for the newspapers.

15. Voice The next result from the conclusion of the newspaper data is that the media doesn’t challenge, see and put as a public problem, but accepts as premised the fact that medical workers, energy and telecommunication workers do not have the right to effective strikes but can only do a symbolic protest.

16. Pieces of chalk Teachers and the strike from 2007 – an unsuccessful tryout to talk about the quality of work The teachers’ strike lasted 40 days (from 29.09 till 2.11) in the year when Bulgaria became a member of the EU.

17. The long period of strike was the problem? If in the beginning of the period the newspapers talk about working conditions and qualifications of the teachers, even about quality of work, a while before the strike ended the messages of the newspapers simplify the problem about the quality of the teachers’ work to the calculation what teachers give in order to want a high wage.

18. Change of chalk with contemporary means of education The talk was focused on the change of chalk with contemporary means of education, about a change in the school system and suddenly the topic shifts to the repeating persistence to finish the negotiations and the accent was mainly on the payment for the teachers’ work.

19. Why journalists do not talk about problems and their resolution connected with “quality of work”? A hypothesis: • - the almost inexistent union activity in the journalists’ guild • in a part of the private media the journalist does not need special education; it is not needed to increase the qualification of the journalist

20. Why journalists do not talk about problems and their resolution connected with “quality of work”? • A substantial part of the journalists are freelancers without contract and if the journalists are fighting for violated rights, then they are doing it individually but not as a journalistic guild

21. Thank you for your attention! zanapopova@gmail.com