District Court Flensburg protects free journalists from unfair contractual clauses

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<p>Das Landgericht Flensburg hat dem Verlag der Kieler Nachrichten die Nutzung unzulässiger Klauseln in Verträgen mit freien Journalist<em>innen untersagt. Diese Entscheidung folgt auf Klagen des Deutschen Journalisten-Verbands und ver.di, die die unklaren Vertragsbedingungen beanstandeten. Der Artikel beleuchtet die Hintergründe der Klage, darunter die problematische Vergütungspraxis des Verlags sowie die Forderungen nach fairem Umgang mit Freelancer</em>innen.</p>
<P> The district court Flensburg has banned the use of inadmissible clauses in contracts with free journalists <em>. This decision follows the lawsuit of the German Journalist Association and ver.di, which complained about the unclear contractual terms. The article illuminates the background of the lawsuit, including the problematic remuneration practice of the publisher and the demands for fair use of freelancer </em> inside. </p> (Symbolbild/MB)

complain against unfair contract practices: an important judgment for free journalists

A directional judgment of the Flensburg Regional Court recently caused a sensation. The publisher of the Kieler Nachrichten was condemned to delete inadmissible clauses in its contracts with freelance journalists. This judgment is not just a success for the media professionals concerned, but an important step in the discussion about fair working conditions in the industry.

The lawsuit was submitted in the context of changes in the publisher's remuneration practice. In the summer of 2021, the publisher announced that a new "modular system" structure mentioned in the future should be used to pay freelance employees. This method provided for use for individual contributions, package prices for texts and images instead of clear billing. Many journalists felt unjustly treated by this change and turned to their unions.

The fact that the publisher has only made marginal adjustments to its contractual conditions despite an existing judgment that prohibits him from using non -transparent clauses. The German Journalist Association and ver.di again took legal steps to protect the interests of journalists.

Christoph Schmitz-Dethlefsen, a member of the ver.di federal board, made it clear that the practices of the publisher not only violated the generally recognized fee guidelines, but also represented an unfair abuse of power. "The validity of the common remuneration rule (GVR) is ignored, and this does not happen by chance, but aims to achieve financial advantages at the expense of free employees," continued Schmitz-Detlefsen.

The judgment has far -reaching importance: it not only represents a struggle for fairer payment, but also illuminates a trend that is becoming increasingly important in the media landscape. Free journalists need support to defend their rights, especially since individual lawsuits are often risky and could take advantage of the publisher's client position.

The decision of the Flensburg Regional Court is considered a commitment to fair working conditions and shows how important it is that the unions are able to successfully represent the interests of the members. In the future, it could be crucial to introduce an effective association right to strengthen the rights of the free.

Insgesamt sind diese Entwicklungen ein klares Zeichen dafür, dass in der Medienbranche weiterhin ein starker Bedarf an Transparenz und gerechten Bedingungen besteht. It remains to be seen how the situation will develop and what measures will take the publishers to adapt to the new legal requirements.