TV3's staff calls for a day without 'Telenotícies' and reprimands the CCMA leadership

BarcelonaThe various discontents of the TV3 staff with the management of the Corporació Catalana de Mitjans Audiovisuals (CCMA) have culminated in a call for a partial strike that will affect prime time for the midday and evening news on June 30. Tomorrow, a workers' assembly will be held to address the different reasons that have led to this protest measure. In the call for the meeting, the first reason cited is the "numerous appointments of positions of free designation with selection processes and professional profiles that have not had the acceptance or participation of the works council." Staff representatives complain that "the majority have no experience in either radio or television" and that they have "many shortcomings in team management, which has put the occupational health of colleagues in the affected departments at risk."

Sources from the CCMA management reject this view and recall that, unlike what happened in previous mandates, the processes have been carried out with public tenders, selection of three finalists, and interviews with candidates. They do admit, however, that unions receive information on how the selection was made, but they do not participate in the decision. These sources consider that the proximity of the union elections, scheduled for December, explains the increase in public protest and express surprise because it is not clear in the call what exactly they are asking for, beyond reproach. "We also detect reluctance from committees and unions towards the digital transformation that is being carried out, something we do not see, on the other hand, in the bulk of the workers, who are committed to this updating process."

Besides the alleged lack of transparency, the committee also regrets "the systematic violation of trade union rights" and that "all possible obstacles are placed in the way of working committees, the occupational health committee, the negotiation of the Equality Plan, and data on remuneration policy". The statement also denounces breaches of agreement that, in their opinion, affect the non-payment of study grants and overtime. The Corporation's management, on the other hand, recalls that there are fifteen active committees with staff representatives and that, since 2025, 117 meetings have been held where they have been able to express their views on various matters. It also cites agreements reached by consensus, such as staff stabilization, the plan for early partial retirement to full-time, or the regulation of retirement at 68 years of age.

Regarding overtime, management believes that the conflict has to do "with privileges that were thought to be lifelong and make no sense". Specifically, they refer to the fact that workers could accumulate overtime hours worked over the years to the point that, upon reaching an age close to retirement, they could then take several months of leave. Now, since mandatory clocking in was introduced in January, the overtime generated must be recovered within that calendar year. Management also recalls that TV3 workers work 35 hours per week under the agreement, instead of the 37.5 hours worked by the rest of the public sector.

Beyond strictly labor issues, the committee insists on the tensions generated by the brand plan initiated by the entity's top management. "In this academic year, we have seen how management has launched the most aggressive marketing operation in favor of 3Cat, with the aim of erasing the historical legacy of TV3 and Catalunya Ràdio and disregarding all the accumulated value," they explain. "This disregards the collective work done over more than 40 years of history".

Finally, the committee recalls that from 2025 half of the governing council – made up of seven members, including the president, Rosa Romà – was to be renewed as stipulated by the CCMA law, but no action has been taken. The workers' representatives consider that it is the Corporation itself that must decide which three councillors are to be replaced by Parliament, while the entity considers that it is Parliament that must lead the entire operation, including the designation of the three councillors who will be leaving. The article of the law does not specify who should have the initiative for this change, beyond recalling that the presidency is excluded from the replacement. In any case, the impossibility of repeating an agreement between PSC, ERC and Junts that allowed the last reform of the CCMA to be unblocked is the factor that is blocking compliance with this provision of the law.