Hardly any permanent contracts, failing leadership and no participation: that is the reality in Hilversum. The result? Major abuses and few people speaking out about them. What makes broadcasting employees so vulnerable as targets or witnesses of misconduct?
Outbursts of anger, arguments, disparaging remarks, exclusion, gossip, sexist comments or pinching of colleagues’ buttocks, breasts and genitals. This is just a selection of the misconduct described in the more than two hundred page report that the Van Rijn committee presented last week.
The report, which was published after more than a year of research led by former minister Martin van Rijn, describes the experiences of almost fifteen hundred (former) employees. Almost all of them have had to deal with inappropriate behavior as a “target and/or witness” in the past year.
The abuses at the public broadcaster came into focus when the stories about The world goes on (DWDD) and NOS Sport came out. According to Thomas Bruning, general secretary of the Dutch Association of Journalists (NVJ), it is no coincidence that things are going so wrong in the media world. “Workplace misconduct and a culture of silence are the result of temporary contracts and poor conditions for freelancers.”
The Van Rijn Committee’s research shows that only 9 percent of those surveyed DWDD work has a permanent contract. “DWDD is an obvious example that you need certainty and safety to be critical and resilient,” says Bruning.
In Hilversum there is often no permanent contract
Not just at DWDD, but within the entire radio and television world, temporary contracts are the most normal thing in the world. In other sectors, an employer may offer its employees a total of three temporary contracts within three years. This is followed by a permanent contract.
Broadcasting employees may have their contracts extended a maximum of six times within four years. But in practice, this is often not followed by a permanent contract. After four years, employees are fired.
Broadcasters already wrote one in 2020 brief to then NPO boss Shula Rijxman. “Devoting your four years with full effort and dedication to making beautiful radio or television, and then being able to leave with the feeling that ‘there are ten others for you’. And in the meantime, getting a mortgage is a wet dream, postponing expanding the family. more the rule than the exception,” wrote the employees of NTR, VPRO, KRO-NCRV, EO and BNNVARA, among others.
“Broadcasters work on a project basis and have a temporary contract for the duration of a TV or radio program. But until recently we also saw that in programs that run for a long period of time, such as News hour of NOS Newsmany young people with temporary contracts,” says Bruning.
“After long insistence from the NVJ, NOS is now offering more and more permanent contracts. This also includes the abuses DWDD have now ensured a better position for the makers in Hilversum,” says the general secretary. For example, in the new broadcasting collective labor agreement, which will apply from this year, two annual contracts and then a permanent contract will be the starting point. Freelancers will also have a stronger position .
‘First steps have been taken, but we are still far from there’
At the NVJ they are happy with the report of the Van Rijn committee. “It is good that the NPO has now had this independent investigation carried out. We see the report as support for the policy that the NVJ has been advocating for years.” In addition to removing uncertainty about contracts and poor employment conditions, this policy also focuses on other factors that play an important role in creating a safe working environment.
“Participation must be well organized, for example in the form of an editorial board or committee. In addition, it is important that different roles do not belong to the same people and that the reporting points and complaints procedures are transparent,” says Bruning. “This does not only apply to public broadcasters, but also to commercial broadcasters, production companies and publishers.”
Bruning calls the report that is now available “important and essential”. “But fifteen recommendations is a lot. I would have preferred that a safe working environment and leadership had been taken as a starting point. Many of the issues mentioned by the committee are related to this. If you ensure a safe working environment and good leadership, the rest will follow.” The first steps have been taken with the report, but we are still far from there.”
2024-02-08 07:31:55
#Abuses #world #people #experience #misconduct #Media
