Dead ends and death threats

Spent the weekend catching up on emails and writing articles - my monthly column for Tribune and a piece for Press Gazette on the BBC cuts.

Today it was ACAS with the management of The Guardian and The Observer - a scene setter for more detailed talks next week.
To be honest it felt a waste of time. I've never been involved in negotiations where so much time appears to be spent getting nowhere. After we presented the outsanding points of dispute, management's response was "we've got nothing to say". How helpful. Let's hope next week is more constructive otherwise we're heading for a dispute there.

This evening I attended a reception for the Colombian trade unions at the TUC. Colombia remains the most dangerous country in the world for trade unionists - 84 were killed there last year. I am proud of the work our union has done and have been proud to be chair of the TUC-backed Justice for Colombia campaign for the past few years.

Just before i went to the reception I heard the worrying news that Hollman Morris, the Colombian documentary maker who was in the UK as a guest of the NUJ two years ago has been the subject of yet more death threats. Amnesty International have issued an urgent action notice - please act on it.