Geneva Councillor concerned about restructuring at SDA
The Geneva cantonal parliament on Friday approved by a large majority a motion calling on the State Council to condemn the restructuring at the Swiss Dispatch Agency (SDA). There should be no restrictions on jobs or the agency's performance.
The text of the motion was passed on to the cantonal government with 55 votes in favor, 32 against and two abstentions. It is called upon to examine the possibilities of financial support for the news agency and to lend a hand to the sda workforce, which is fighting against the cost-cutting plans.
For Romain de Sainte Marie (SP), the first signatory of the motion, the sda assumes an important role of public service and should therefore not be subjected to profit logic. "The agency is an objective source of information based on facts," said Green Party representative Boris Calame. This function is all the more important in times of "fake news," said independent Grand Councilor Christina Meissner. The CVP and the civic movement MCG also supported the motion.
The FDP, on the other hand, found that the agency's management and staff should first be consulted before the motion is referred to the State Council. According to the SVP, the responsibility for restructuring lies solely with the management. It would have to adapt its offer to the demand. Therefore, there should be no intervention.
Warning strike of the workforce
The news agency sda had announced on January 8 that it would have to undertake a comprehensive reorganization. Although it was able to renew contracts with its most important customers, it expects sales to slump by 9.6 percent to 29.5 million Swiss francs due to heavy price pressure, as the SDA management announced earlier this month. A total of 36 of 150 editorial jobs are to be cut.
The staff had reacted to the cuts on Tuesday of this week in Bern with a warning strike. Between 2 and 5 p.m., only an emergency service was in operation in the German- and French-language SDA service. The Italian-language newsroom did not broadcast any news at all until 5 p.m. (SDA)
