Last century in 1914, thirty young journalists established in Athens the first professional journalists’ union in Greece which over the years took the name Journalists’ Union of the Athens Daily Newspapers (JUADN).
This name is kept mainly out of respect for tradition although union members are professional journalists working for TV, radio, digital media as well as newspapers.
Today Union has 5800 journalists members, making JUADN the largest journalists Union in the country. Union female membership is 45%, in 2013 Maria Antoniadou was elected the first female President of the Union Executive Board.
JUADN is run by an 11 member Executive Board which according to union Constitution is elected every two years. The Executive Board Presidium is composed of 6 members- President, 1st Vice President, 2nd Vice President, General Secretary, Treasurer and a Special Secretary.
According to JUADN Constitution, every two years union members elect two Disciplinary Boards that deal with professional deontology cases- Fist level Disciplinary and Second level Disciplinary Boards. In all JUADN constitutions over the hundred years of union existence there are specific principles of deontology and ethical journalism that members of the union have to abide. In 1998 the majority of JUADN members voted the implementation of the “code of ethics” which is still in force and implemented by the two JUADN Disciplinary Boards.
JUADN Executive Board is also conducting negotiations and sign Collective Work Agreements to ensure pay, working conditions and benefits for journalists’ members.