This question has to be answered by reading the statutory text as it stands, because two separate articles govern two separate situations with different consequences.
Two Separate Articles
| Terminating party | Article | What the text says |
|---|---|---|
| Employer | Art. 6 | 1 or 3 months' written notice by seniority; compensation of one month's wage per year of service is given "to the journalist whose service is terminated under the provisions of this article" |
| Journalist | Art. 7 | "A journalist may terminate the employment contract at any time by giving the employer written notice at least one month in advance." — the article says nothing about compensation |
The Exception: Termination for Just Cause (Art. 11)
The Law does attach compensation to a termination by the journalist in one case. Under Article 11, where there is an obvious change in the direction and character of the periodical harming the journalist's honour, reputation or moral interests, the journalist may terminate without waiting out the notice period.
The second paragraph sets the consequence: a journalist terminating on that basis may claim the amount of compensation they would have received had they terminated as a result of the employer's fault.
| Type of termination | Compensation under the statutory text |
|---|---|
| Termination by the employer (Art. 6) | One month's wage per year of service |
| Termination by the journalist under Art. 11 | As much as the compensation on a wrongful termination by the employer |
| Ordinary termination by the journalist (Art. 7) | The article says nothing about compensation |
The Article 11 situation is covered in the immediate termination article.
Termination During Probation
Under Article 10 the trial period for those entering the profession for the first time is at most three months, and during that period either party may terminate without being subject to the notice period or to any compensation obligation. No compensation arises for either side during probation.
Seniority Itself Is Not Erased
One qualifier: under Article 6, the seniority of a journalist who has once received severance pay is calculated from entry into the new job — but an agreement to the contrary may be made. This is covered in the severance reset article.
On the Specific Facts
Bottom Line
The statutory text provides severance for a journalist whose service is terminated by the employer. Termination by the journalist sits in Article 7, which says nothing about compensation. The one express exception is Article 11: a journalist terminating because of an obvious change in the direction and character of the publication may claim the compensation payable on a wrongful termination by the employer.