Journalists union urges end to culture of chronic overworking

The plea comes after a report about the schedule arranger of TV channel TNN, who died at his desk from a heart attack allegedly caused by overwork, reports the Bangkok Post.

Theeranai Jarusawat, vice-president of the TJA’s Freedoms and Media Reformation Division, said on Saturday the National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC), together with the Labour Ministry, would investigate whether the network’s working conditions complied with the labour law and what plans are in place to prevent more staff from working themselves into an early grave.

Mr Theeranai said the pressure on media workers to put in long hours stems from competition among news agencies for higher ratings and greater engagement.

The case of the TNN employee who died prompted the TJA and affiliated agencies to come up with their pledge that the NBTC would take pains to prevent this kind of situation from happening again, he said.

Mr Theeranai said some media agencies have their own traditions which could be in violation of the labour law. These include issues related to staff working chronic overtime, working on holidays, and not being granted enough rest time, he said.

He said he expects the issue will be resolved by the NBTC, which has the authority to licence those agencies.

Meanwhile, Mr Theeranai suggested more journalists form labour unions in defence of their rights. Suwit Mingmol, chairman of MCOT Public Co Ltd’s (MCOT PCL) labour union, said private sector agencies must set up their own unions to give workers more bargaining power.

Mr Suwit said while this not be welcomed by employers, the NBTC could force the issue by including it as part of the mandatory criteria for expanding or renewing a news agency’s licence, as it could set a new standard for the industry.

Mr Suwit said most workers tend to keep mum when talking about their work, including the pressure for overtime they must endure, as they are keen to keep their jobs.

Sumet Somkhanae, secretary-general of the National Union of Journalists, Thailand (NUJT), said journalists nowadays have less bargaining power.

The idea of setting up the NUJT came in the wake of a nine-item pledge that reporters who covered the political protests in 2010 made to the authorities, he said. When setting up the NUJT in 2013, he said few journalists joined the union, as most were afraid membership could cost them their job.