The Assembly of Perfil Editorial Workers began a strike in protest of 21 dismissals in the publication today.

Editorial Perfil S.A. sent 21 telegrams this morning, firing ten photographers, five scanner operators, three artists, two archive workers and one editor. The workers’ assembly took a decision to support their colleagues and initiated an immediate strike. Rubén Schofrin, one of the assembly representatives, says the main objective of the action to ensure “that the print version of Perfil is not out this weekend”, if the company does not reverse the layoffs.

Shofrin deplored the employer’s announcement after the firings, which affirmed that “2013 will find us as a stronger company to plan new challenges and growth.” Shofrin highlighted other recent examples of cost-cutting measures, including cut travel expenses and promoted usage of low-cost images for publications. The company has over 500 workers employed in its two offices, after agreeing around 100 “voluntary resignations” during the last year.

Last week, workers in the assembly took a decision to strike in response to dismissals. “This afternoon we will organise ​​new assemblies to ratify the measure and evaluate new actions,” continued Schofrin. Among these actions is a call for an act of solidarity on Thursday at 1pm in front of the editorial headquarter on Chacabuco 271.

ARGRA, the Argentine Association of Graphic Reporters, published a statement, that criticised the editorial’s decision. According to ARGRA, “mass layoffs are particularly severe, arbitrary and discriminatory in light of the statement issued by the same company to justify them.” ARGRA calls the dismissals “illegal and irresponsible”, accusing the leadership of Perfil of “devaluing the work of photographers.”

The official page of Editorial Perfil S.A. has not published any information regarding the strike at this time.

Yesterday the Supreme Court ruled against President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner administration, declaring that the government had committed an act of discrimination by refusing to award official advertising to Perfil Editorial, the publisher of both a newspaper and the magazines ‘Noticias’ and ‘Fortuna’. According to the ruling the government is obliged to ‘not discriminate’ and seek balance concerning official advertisement.

The Supreme Court ordered the state to provide official advertising to the newspaper Perfil, which intentionally has been entirely excluded from distribution of government advertisement since Néstor Kirchner came to power in 2003.

In the ruling that has national scope, the court reaffirmed that the state should ignore discriminatory criteria and maintain a reasonable balance between the various publications as a guarantee of freedom of expression.

“All media should get official advertisement: that is the difference between equal treatment and discriminatory treatment,” stated the Supreme Court.

The ruling orders the state to take “a period of two weeks to arrange distribution for advertising in various publications of Perfil, while ensuring a reasonable balance with others who have similar characteristics”.

According to Gustavo González, director of Perfil, “the court’s decision is important for the institutional message that it sends, stopping the government using public funds for political purposes.”

Following the ruling, the state can not make arbitrary differences in distributing publicity, because it violates the principle of equality.

The Association of Argentine Journalism (ADEPA) described the ruling as “excellent” and called on the government to correct “distortions”.

Of the ruling, juridical counselor of the ADEPA, Gregorio Badeni, said: “Advertisement should serve to disseminate information to all citizens, without favouring media related to the policy of government. We must fulfill the right to information and pluralism.”

His colleague Daniel Sabsay further added that it was “a breakthrough in anti-discrimination to the media”.