THE NATIONAL UNION OF
JOURNALISTS OF UKRAINE
In Khmelnytskyi, the Pivdennobuzka Zoria newspaper has stopped being published. This happened due to economic problems even before the beginning of large-scale aggression. After February 24, 2022, not a single regional newspaper announced the cessation of its publishing.
Telling about this, Petro Lichman, the head of the Khmelnytskyi regional organization of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU), says:
“Local newsrooms save their publications doing all possible and impossible. Sometimes they take a break, sometimes the volume is reduced by a few columns, the staff is reduced, but the newspapers are not closed.
And despite all the assurances of some officials that the printed word can be completely replaced with the Internet, this is not the case, because even today people prefer to read a newspaper. This is especially noticeable in the rural areas, where older people are used to learning local news by leisurely rereading newspapers. In addition, the Internet connection does not always work stably.
Of course, regional and local publications work in conditions of economic hardship. But the biggest problem is mail.”
The regional journalistic organization has been fighting for the preservation of the local press of Khmelnytskyi for over a year. Petro Lichman and the head of the Association of Editors of Khmelnytskyi Region, Vira Malchuk, are addressing letter-statements to state’s high-ranking officials, leaders of the region, and are trying to convey their opinion regarding the glaring situation with Ukrposhta. They ask the state officials to protect the right of the residents of the region to receive reliable information, as well as to protect the post itself from the arbitrariness of officials. Unfortunately, it is not yet possible to say that their appeals are being actively considered.
It is important to unite and march as a united front for the preservation of the press and mail delivery
After a year of struggle with the “reformers” of Ukrposhta, Petro Lichman admits: “One is not a warrior in the field” as the opponent – the monopolist Ukrposhta – has already turned out to be very powerful.
However, journalists do not give up. Now, through the Ukrainian parliamentarians who work in the European Parliament, they are looking for ways so that the problem of Ukrposhta‘s blatant elimination of the local press and freedom of speech in our country is heard not only in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine but also at the European level.
“When the Ukrainian military defends Ukraine’s freedom at the front in heavy battles with treacherous invaders, we have no right to retreat on the information front; we must preserve our publications. It is essential that all the regional organizations of the NUJU and all the editors of local and regional publications join us. It is important that we all speak together simultaneously; only then will our voice be heard,” says Petro Lichman.
Thorny ways of fighting for justice
First of all, we turned to the territorial branch of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine.
In September 2022, Petro Lichman, the head of the Khmelnytskyi regional organization of the NUJU, on behalf of the Podilskyi Visti newspaper he heads, addressed the head of the South-Western territorial branch of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine with a statement letter, which, in particular, said:
“The head of the Khmelnytskyi Directorate of Ukrposhta JSC, M. Hromov, unacceptably ignores the terms of Agreement 22-577 dated August 28 2018, in particular Section 3.5.8, which lays down the requirements of the Law On State Support of Mass Media … These regulatory documents state that precisely for the address delivery of the press, the post office receives almost 20% of all subscription revenues from the newsroom of the Podilskyi Visti newspaper.
At our request to the head of the National Police Department in the Khmelnytskyi Region, a thorough inspection was conducted, which confirmed the gross non-fulfillment by the monopolist, namely the employees of Ukrposhta JSC, of the terms of the contract concluded between Ukrposhta JSC and the newsroom of the Podilskyi Visti newspaper…
The monopoly position, which is grossly abused by Ukrposhta, has led to a catastrophic economic situation in which the entire press of Khmelnytskyi, which was and remains a social and informational island of the Podilskyi region, found itself.”
Can we say that it turns out that Ukrposhta is not a monopoly in the delivery of press?
The answer to the September 2022 appeal to the South-Western territorial branch of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences was received only in January 2023. And it said:
“According to the state register of postal operators in the Khmelnytskyi Region during 2019-2022, postal services are provided by the State Enterprise for the Distribution of Periodicals PRESA and Ukrposhta JSC… Commercial structures of various forms of ownership are actively working on the market for the distribution of periodicals, along with Ukrposhta JSC in the territory of Ukraine, including the territory of the Khmelnytskyi Region…
Thus, in the actions of employees of the Khmelnytskyi directorate of Ukrposhta JSC, the Khmelnytskyi branch of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine found no signs of violation of the legislation on the protection of economic competition in the form of monopoly abuse on the market for the provision of services for the delivery of domestic press… The issue of non-fulfillment or improper fulfillment by employees of Ukrposhta JSC of the terms of the contract concluded between the newsroom of the newspaper and Ukrposhta does not belong to the competence of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine.”
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To put it simply, the South-Western territorial branch of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine declares that in the territory of the region, there are several organizations engaged in the distribution of the press; Ukrposhta is not the monopolist, the State Enterprise PRESA is in the first place; therefore the Antimonopoly Committee cannot to intervene in the solution of the issue and advises to apply to commercial courts.
Does the head office of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine unconditionally trust its regional branches, or is it too lazy to figure it out?
The Podilskyi Visti newsroom received a similar response to requests regarding the failure of the monopolist – Ukrposhta to fulfill its obligations regarding the delivery of periodicals – from the central office of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (it even seems that the same person wrote both of them). One gets the impression that this respectable structure, instead of understanding the problem, simply wrote off the letter of its territorial branch, repeating that Ukrposhta is not a monopolist.
Just why, both in the Khmelnytskyi Region and throughout Ukraine, do journalists not see that the State Enterprise for the Distribution of Periodicals PRESA or some commercial structures are engaged in the delivery of newspapers?
On September 7, 2023, the Prime Minister of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal, presented the new head of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine, Pavlo Kyrylenko. We would like to believe that the new management will still see a monopolist on the postal market and that the actions of the monopolist harm not only the media but the post itself.
They are asking the MP to protect the information field.
In a letter to the member of the Ukrainian Parliament from the city of Khmelnytskyi, Serhii Labaziuk, it is emphasized that with the appointment of the new head of the Khmelnytskyi directorate of Ukrposhta, Mykola Hromov, the situation in the region has become particularly difficult.
In particular, it is said:
Khmelnytskyi, which before the arrival of Hromov, had always ranked second in Ukraine according to the results of newspaper subscriptions, now, in 2022, due to poor press delivery, is ranked the last, in particular, is placed the 24th. The ill-conceived introduction of mobile offices became a mortal threat to both the local press and the mail delivery itself…
Of the 647 post offices that worked before the postal reform, less than a hundred remain. Hromov dismissed more than a thousand mail carriers, and before the arrival of Hromov, the Khmelnytskyi Directorate of Ukrposhta had 2,300 employees; now, only a third of them remain.
Stationary departments are closed; instead, mobile ones have been created, which often do not come to villages for weeks…
The subscription and sorting departments of periodicals have undergone irreversible elimination, and professionals are being laid off en masse. Hromov explains the mass reduction of mail carriers more than surprisingly: “They stole a lot.” He is silent about the fact that the salary of mail carriers with 20 years of experience was UAH 800 because they worked for 0.25 of the rate. Heads of post offices, who worked at 0.7 rates, received UAH 3,000.
The post office, which provided a large number of services to the village residents, performed an important social function, but now, as a result of the so-called reformation, it has deprived people of such support. Sick, disabled, and infirm people often wait for hours in any weather for the arrival of a mobile department.
Mail delivery to the village once a week, for a short hour, is nothing else but complete chaos. The untimely delivery of not only periodicals but also pensions hits the most vulnerable categories of the population – pensioners and people with disabilities, sowing distrust in the authorities.”
MPs thanked the journalists and entrusted the Ministry of Culture with the consideration of Ukrposhta’s actions
Petro Lichman and Vira Malchuk, the head of the Association of Editors of the Khmelnytskyi Region, appealed to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to look into the problem with Ukrposhta. The response was received from the Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy.
After the prelude about the declaration of his respect and the fact that the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk gave the Committee a mandate, the statement that the issue was considered within the limits of the powers granted to the Committee, they note: “Implementation of state policy in the information and publishing spheres is classified as one of the main tasks of the Ministry of Culture and information policy. In accordance with the assigned tasks, among other things, there is the development of action plans regarding the independence of the mass media, the protection of the rights of journalists and consumers of information products.”
In view of the abovementioned, your appeal has been forwarded to the specified Ministry for review on its merits. You will be notified of the outcome of the review and response measures.”
And here’s a little play on words typical of Ukrainian politicians at all levels: “Thank you for your persistence, concern, and constructive desire to purposefully contribute to the resolution of issues important to the entire Ukrainian society.”
The authorities want the post office to fulfill its duties well but let someone else take care of that
The Khmelnytskyi Regional State Administration recognizes:
“The issues of closing rural stationary post offices, switching to service by mobile offices, and reducing the number of postmen are problematic and cause social tension among the population of the Khmelnytskyi Region, especially residents of rural areas. This is evidenced by the appeals received by the regional state administration.”
However, the response from the infrastructure management of the regional state administration reads:
“The Khmelnytskyi Directorate of Ukrposhta JSC does not agree with the Khmelnytskyi Regional State Administration on the plans for the optimization of rural post offices in the territory of the region because according to Section 3.7 of the Statute of Ukrposhta JSC, approved by the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine dated December 14, 2018 No. 611 Ukrposhta JSC operates on the principles of full economic independence and self-sufficiency, bears responsibility for the consequences of its economic activities and the fulfillment of obligations. Ukrposhta JSC independently determines its organizational structure, establishes the number of employees, staff list, accounting policy…”
Taking into account the aforementioned and with the aim of establishing quality delivery of periodicals, we recommend contacting the postal operator of Ukrposhta JSC.
The regional state administration is not empowered to control or regulate the provision of postal services, but it is interested in the high-quality, reliable level of provision of postal services to residents of the region by post offices of Ukrposhta JSC.
What can be said here?
Olha Voitsekhivska, Journalist of Ukraine
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