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Journalists across Italy are striking on Friday. © Shutterstock / shutterstock
A note from us | Yesterday's journalists' strike
The FNSI (Federazione Nazionale Stampa Italiana) has called a full-day strike for Friday, March 27th. The reason is the ten-year overdue renewal of the collective bargaining agreement. The journalists' union of the Trentino-South Tyrol region supports the strike. We are publishing here the statements from the FNSI and the newspaper publishers' association FIEG.
March 27, 2026
From: sportsnews
The following is the statement from the FNSI:
Dignity. That is the key word that compels us to hold two further strikes on March 27th and April 16th. We want information to be treated with the necessary dignity, and for this dignity to continue to be guaranteed in the future. Currently, this is not a given; quite the opposite.Our collective agreement expired ten years ago; our salaries have been eroded by inflation and have lost 20 percent of their purchasing power. We are the only professional group that has waited so long for a renewal of the collective agreement. This is an economic issue, but also a matter of the reputation and independence of the press.
They want to dismantle piece by piece the treaty that President Sergio Mattarella described as a "guarantee of journalists' independence." There is a direct link between our fundamental economic demands and freedom of information, which citizens, readers, television viewers, and internet users must also demand in order to be free themselves.
Publishers receive millions in subsidies from the state government (from this one as well as from previous ones), but invest little in the companies themselves or in developing professional reporting. On the contrary, they send 62-year-old employees into early retirement, create incentives to reduce staff in newsrooms, and rely on freelancers and self-employed individuals who receive starvation wages for their work.
Publishers reject basic rules for the use of artificial intelligence and are willing to replace journalists, who represent the core competency of the information industry. They pretend to be unaware of the law that obligates them to pay journalists for editorial content they themselves have long since outsourced to OTT providers—the large companies that provide content and services online.
The publishers want future journalists to be paid even less than those currently employed and want to pave the way for the exploitation of freelancers. During the negotiations, they submitted a proposal that is even lower than the one already rejected by the highest administrative court in 2016.
These are the reasons why we are striking again. We are doing this for ourselves and our dignity. For our future. For you, and for our freedom and yours. Because: How free and independent is a journalist who is forced to process information like on an assembly line? How can an employee maintain their integrity when they are paid per piece, like on an assembly line? How carefree can an editor work when they cannot rely on the protection of an employment contract? Think about whether you want to continue getting your information from newspapers, news broadcasts, social media, or online portals under such conditions.
And here is the statement from FIEG:
The newspaper publishers united in the national trade association (Federazione Italiani Editori Giornali, or FIEG for short) point out that this is a collective agreement valid at the national level, which is based on business models that no longer exist and are completely outdated.This contract still guarantees journalists privileges that are no longer sustainable, financially viable, or affordable, such as continued payment for holidays that were abolished 50 years ago, or the percentage-based automatic salary adjustments that have largely protected journalists from the effects of inflation.
It is precisely for this reason that the journalists' union FNSI refuses to engage in the comprehensive renewal and modernization of the national collective agreement for journalists, as well as in the introduction of more flexible rules to promote the recruitment of young people.
Both points, however, would be absolutely essential for continued competitiveness from our perspective. The journalists' union FNSI, on the other hand, limits itself to purely economic demands.
However, as far as freelancers are concerned, the FIEG trade association of newspaper publishers has always expressed its will and readiness at the specially set up negotiating table to adapt and improve the currently applicable rules and remuneration.
To preserve jobs and, above all, to avoid layoffs of editors, newspaper publishers have indeed resorted to early retirement schemes.
In this context, the trade association of newspaper publishers points out, however, that this was always done with the express consent of the journalists' union, which supported and co-signed all corresponding measures – the recognition of the state of crisis and the subsequent liquidation plans.
Despite the journalists' union's unwillingness to change the contractual provisions in any way, the newspaper publishers have repeatedly made an economic offer at the negotiating table that exceeds that of the last contract renewal and also reflects the changed conditions of the entire media industry today.
The current contract would remain valid and in force and would in no way be undermined.
Newspaper publishers and editors reaffirm that they will definitely continue to fulfill their task and role by investing in their companies – in new products and generally in the enhancement of the journalistic profession.
Keywords
Journalists' strike
