Twelve journalists working at the İzmir-based digital news portal Manşetiz were fired after demanding their unpaid wages and meal allowances.
According to the Communication Workers Solidarity Network (Patronların Ensesindeyiz), the meal card payments and salaries of editors and reporters working at mansetiz.com had been delayed for months. A crisis erupted with the company management after the employees requested their accumulated payments.
On the morning of October 11, when the journalists attempted to start their shifts, they found that their access to the work screens used for the news entry system had been blocked. It was stated that company representative Tahir Aygün blocked the news entries, and the site's publication effectively ceased during this process.
Despite the journalists stating that they were waiting at their posts, it was reported that they were fired under "Code 48" on the grounds of "absenteeism." The employees said they tried to contact the management for three days to resolve the issue but received no response.
According to the report, when the journalists asked for their salaries to be paid, the company owner replied, "I will pay when I have the money." The 12 fired journalists announced that they would initiate a legal and organized struggle against their accumulated unpaid wages and the grounds for their dismissal.
We will not leave our sweat and professional dignity to anyone's mercy. We will continue our legal and organized struggle until all our accumulated payments are made and this unfair Code 48 stain is cleared. We invite the entire public, press professional organizations, and our colleagues to stand in solidarity with the Manşetiz workers.
News Source: 12punto
