UNIAN journalists who were "transferred", file court claim against the agency management

The UNIAN website journalists, who learned about their transfer to the newly established department of TV monitoring on August 28, filed a court claim against their bosses. They informed "Ukrainska Pravda" about this.

The claim is about gross violation of their labor rights, and it emphasis the cardinal and unmotivated change of duties stipulated in their employment contracts.

The journalists request that Shevchenkivskyi District Court declares their transfer to the newly formed TV monitoring department illegal, and oblige the general director of UNIAN to cancel the corresponding order.

Also, the situation in the agency will be discussed at the press conference in Brussels on September 30.

As the press service of the Independent Media Trade Union of Ukraine informs, the press conference will be about the struggle of independent journalists for the freedom of speech on the eve of Ukraine’s signing of the association treaty with the EU.

The press conference will be attended by Marc Gruber, director of the European Federation of Journalists, Yuriy Lukanov, head of the Independent Media Trade Union of Ukraine, Serhiy Voropayev, the Brussels correspondent of the UNIAN news agency.

As a reminder, on August 28 the employees of the UNIAN news agency, who before complained about the censorship imposed on them by their bosses, were "transferred" to a different department. Later they published the photographs of the office where they would have to work.

The Independent Media Trade Union of Ukraine’ commission for inspection of compliance with labor rights and working conditions in UNIAN stated that the administration failed to create proper working conditions at the office for “transferred” editors. The Independent Media Trade Union of Ukraine demanded that the UNIAN administration “rule its transfer order erroneous and illegal” and to return the journalists to the office at 1 Magnytigorska str., where they worked before.