On 15 July 2025, the State Labour Inspectorate, in collaboration with the Audiovisual Media Authority (AMA), organized a roundtable with representatives from Albania’s audiovisual media industry to address critical issues related to journalists’ working conditions and occupational safety. This event was held within the framework of an inter-institutional cooperation agreement aiming to enhance coordination and compliance with labour standards in the media sector.
Chief Labour Inspector Eljo Muçaj highlighted the significant role of the Inspectorate in ensuring safe, healthy, and dignified working environments for journalists and media workers. He presented recent data indicating rising concerns: in 2024, 19 complaints involving five media outlets were filed, and in the first half of 2025 alone, 16 complaints regarding six media outlets were submitted. The most frequent issues reported included informal employment practices, undeclared wages, unpaid overtime, and the absence of employment contracts.
Muçaj emphasized that a common informal practice across Albanian media and private sectors involves partial cash payments combined with officially declared bank transfers, complicating efforts to investigate and penalize these violations effectively. The Labour Inspectorate clarified that without concrete evidence, enforcement becomes challenging.
Participants also addressed difficulties in investigating media workplaces, emphasizing the delicate balance required to ensure transparency without infringing on press freedom. Unfair dismissals and unpaid overtime emerged as additional concerns voiced by media employees.
In response, AMA announced plans for a targeted awareness campaign, which will include training for media personnel to effectively identify and report workplace abuses. This initiative is expected to enhance employee empowerment and compliance with labour rights standards, aligning Albania’s media sector practices with European Union integration standards.
Blerjana Bino, researcher at the SafeJournalists Network and Executive Director of SCiDEV, appreciated the proactive engagement of both the Labour Inspectorate and AMA on this crucial topic. She highlighted the necessity of holding media companies accountable and addressing systemic issues comprehensively. Bino also recommended including the Directory of Taxation in future roundtables and advocated for the active involvement of journalist associations and other forms of journalists’ self-organization in these discussions. She expressed a commitment to collaborating with media freedom organisations and journalist associations for awareness-raising initiatives and educational activities to inform journalists about their rights and how to engage with relevant institutions effectively.
