HIBAPRESS – By Abdellatif Baraka
The trade union and professional bodies representing the press and publishing sector praised the great success of the protest held on Wednesday, October 22, in front of the Parliament, rejecting a government draft law they considered "regressive" regarding the reorganization of the National Press Council.
A joint statement from the National Syndicate of Moroccan Journalists, the Moroccan Federation of Newspaper Publishers, the National Union of Press and Media (UMT), the National Syndicate of Information and Press (CDT), and the Moroccan Confederation of Newspaper and Electronic Media Publishers stated that this broad professional movement "sent a strong message to the government and parliament on the necessity of respecting the principles of self-organization of the press based on elections, independence, democracy, pluralism, and representative justice among the various professional groups." The participating bodies praised "the wide involvement of journalists and publishers in the various regions, and the support of human rights and civil organizations and the two trade union centers, the Moroccan Labour Union and the Democratic Confederation of Labour," considering that the success of the protest "expresses the unity of the journalistic body in defending the independence of the profession and the dignity of its workers." The statement criticized what it described as "the government's attempt to tailor the professional scene to a political and rent-seeking measure that perpetuates exclusion and control," warning against passing the draft law in the House of Councillors "outside of social dialogue and with disregard for the advisory opinion issued by the National Human Rights Council and the Economic, Social and Environmental Council." The trade union bodies demanded that the government "withdraw this project and correct the legislative and political error," and also called on the parliamentary groups to "assume their responsibility in enacting a law that is consistent with the constitution and the expectations of professionals," reiterating their rejection of "the open individual voting method that excludes union representation." The statement concluded by calling on the journalistic body to continue the struggle in defense of professional gains and for "an independent and democratic National Press Council that reflects the will of the professionals, not the will of the executive authority."
