Yes. The last paragraph of Article 6 of Law No. 5953 — added by Law No. 4773 and amended by Article 116 of Law No. 4857 — provides that certain articles of the Labour Law apply by analogy.
Which Articles Apply?
| Article of Law 4857 | Subject |
|---|---|
| Art. 18 | Dismissal must rest on a valid reason |
| Art. 19 | Dismissal procedure — written notification, taking the employee's defence |
| Art. 20 | Objection to the dismissal notice and the period for bringing a claim |
| Art. 21 | Consequences of a dismissal without valid reason — reinstatement |
| Art. 29 | Collective redundancies |
Together these five articles form the core of the job security regime. A journalist's contract cannot be terminated arbitrarily: the dismissal must rest on a valid reason, be notified in writing, and where necessary pass judicial scrutiny.
What Does "By Analogy" Mean?
The Conditions for Job Security
Article 18 of Law 4857 sets thresholds for benefiting from job security. Applied by analogy, these are taken into account as well:
- A certain number of employees at the workplace
- A certain minimum seniority for the journalist
- Employment under an indefinite-term contract
How those thresholds apply on the facts, and how they are adapted to the journalistic relationship, is a question for your lawyer; this article is not legal advice.
Procedure: Written Notification
Article 19, applied by analogy, requires the dismissal to be in writing with the reason stated clearly and definitely. Law 5953 already requires notice to be in writing (Arts. 6 and 7); the two regimes point the same way.
Collective Redundancies
Article 29, applied by analogy, imposes notification and waiting obligations in cases of collective redundancy. A media organisation downsizing its newsroom may fall within this scope.
Closure of the Publication Is Regulated Separately
The complete closure of a publication is dealt with separately in Article 17: those working at a periodical whose publication is suspended receive their wages for two months from the date of suspension, and their statutory compensation is paid in preference.
This is covered in the closure article.
Where Are Disputes Heard?
Under Additional Article 4, legal disputes arising from any claim of right under this Law are heard by the labour courts. The article also provides that the lay members joining the labour court are selected from the unions of press employees and employers.
Bottom Line
Journalists benefit from job security: the Labour Law provisions on valid reason, dismissal procedure, claims and reinstatement, and collective redundancies apply by analogy under the last paragraph of Article 6 of Law 5953. Dismissal must be in writing with the reason stated clearly.
Notice periods are covered in the notice article and severance in the severance article.