Press release
Geneva – June 8, 2024
A group of 21 young journalists, part of the 2023 hiring cohort at Egypt’s Al-Wafd party newspaper, has announced an open-ended sit-in at the newspaper’s headquarters. This protest will continue until they receive revised contracts to submit to the Journalists’ Syndicate for the current enrollment committee, following the refusal of the newspaper’s chairman to sign them.
One of the protesting journalists explained that they were hired by Al-Wafd in 2023 and subsequently submitted their documents to join the Journalists’ Syndicate late last year. “We completed all the necessary training and passed the required exams, but just a day before the announcement of the current
enrollment committee’s list, the syndicate informed us that the contracts were invalid and needed the signature of Al-Wafd’s Chairman, Ayman Mohseb.”
This delay was attributed to a memo submitted by a member of the Al-Wafd party, who is also a journalist within the institution, challenging the validity of the contracts. This was reportedly due to internal conflicts and disputes. When the protesting journalists approached the chairman for his signature, he initially promised to comply but then unexpectedly refused.
Another journalist noted, “After the refusal to sign, the executive office was supposed to meet last Sunday, June 2, to resolve the issue, with a promise to sign the contracts and end the crisis. However, the meeting did not reach quorum and was not held, prompting us to begin the sit-in until we receive the signed contracts.”
The “Committee for Justice” (CFJ) has affirmed its solidarity with the protesting journalists and calls on the newspaper’s management to respect the journalistic work codes within the institution. CFJ urges the administration to grant the journalists their rightful material and moral rights, formalize their contracts, and assist them in joining the Journalists’ Syndicate.
