It's all been happening over the past 24 hours - with an excellent lobby of Parliament over the future of ITV, a vote for three days of strike action at the Express and Star and a formal recognition application going in at the Northcliffe titles in Swansea, Carmarthen and Llanelli amid an increasingly hysteric anti-union campaign.
The three unions at ITV lobbied MPs yesterday as part of our ongoing campaign to Save ITV News and secure a sustainable future for public service broadcasting on ITV. Reps from across the UK set out clearly to three dozen MPs the cuts they are facing, the impact that will have on local communities and the jobs and skills that will be lost. MPs responded positively and are signed up to our efforts to stop Ofcom approving the latest round of cuts and exploring long-term solutions to the funding of PSB on commercial stations, backing the case set out in the joint unions' briefing.
I was at Parliament on Tuesday too meeting the co-ordinator of our group, planning the next stage of our work around employment rights, photographers' rights and relations with the police, work experience and the abuse of the national minimum wage, the Freedom of Information Act consultation and the Press Complaints Commission.
Yesterday a vibrant Chapel meeting at the Express voted for three days of strike action over a below-inflation pay rise. Today I have signed off the formal notice of industrial action and we have issued a statement. President Michelle Stanistreet who is also our union rep at Express Newspapers now faces the conundrum of how to get from the 6am picket line in London to chair our annual conference at 9am in Belfast which starts the same day as the strike.
The Express was also the subject of my Tribune column - and their grovelling apology, the inevitable result of the proprietors' commercial interests being put above journalistic values, shows everything we have been saying about the damage to quality journalism caused by cost-cutting and the sales-at-all-costs philosophy which drives Richard Desmond.
Over in Swansea we have submitted our formal statutory application for recognition which I signed off today. Our recent campaign to build membership has provoked a flurry of activity from management - suddenly finding ways to address issues we and staff have been raising for ages. Interspersed with the nice cop routine is the more sinister Northcliffe nasty cop - the calling in of individuals and the pressure being exerted on them. Tales of what goes on behind closed doors are not for those squeamish about such things as rights, freedoms and liberties.
As well as all this activity I've also written to a number of key opinion formers in Suffolk backing our fight against cuts at the Archant titles there, met with the BBC, met with our sister union BECTU and secured an agreement on the NUJ pension scheme with staff.
And now I'm gearing up for my 'lone protest' tomorrow outside the Met to highlight the attacks on photographers' rights and the obstruction and intimidation they too often face in doing their job. You can read all about it here:
http://www.marcvallee.co.uk/blog_270308.html
Photography protest looms at Scotland Yard
http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/news/Press_photographers_to_stage_rights_protest_at_New_Scotland_Yard_in_London_news_199861.html
http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/forums/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/632471/an/0/page/0#632471
Photography protest looms at Scotland Yard (28.03.08)
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/03/394641.html
Who Watches the Watchers?
http://sionphoto.blogs.com/sionphoto/2008/03/who-watches-the.html
Photographer’s rights protest
http://www.hipshots.co.uk/?p=31
British police force vows to act on photographers’ anti-terror fears
http://lifespy.wordpress.com/2008/03/22/british-police-force-vows-to-act-on-photographers-anti-terror-fears/
Tog to protest at New Scotland Yard
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=53917
Press Freedom Protest! New Scotland Yard!
http://blog.gary-austin.co.uk/?p=175
British Journal of Photography Forum / Photography protest looms at
Scotland Yard
http://www.bjphoto.co.uk/public/showPage.html?page=bjp_forum&mbItem=34894
Talking of photographers I'm in trouble. The comment on the entry below highlights me forgetting to credit the guerrilla artwork of David Hoffman. Whoops. Mea Culpa. Sorry. (is that enough grovelling - ed?)
Back to work...
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Suspicious minds
(c) David Hoffman
NUJ members have been creating more guerrilla art - subverting the poster being used by the Met Police asking us to report suspicious characters with cameras. This all feeds in to plans for our protest on 28 March against the increasingly heavy handed policing which is preventing photographers (and other journalists) going about their lawful business.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Corporate media in the spotlight
Monday began with an 8am Pensions Trustees Meeting to secure approval for the changes to the staff pension scheme - mission accomplished.
Next up was a meeting with Tribune Editor Chris McLaughlin to discuss my monthly column, forthcoming issues for the union which may make good stories and a number of other union issues.
The afternoon was dominated by the outrageous comments made by FCO Minister Kim Howells about Justice for Colombia - an organisation I chair on behalf of the TUC - which he said effectively supports the guerrilla group, the FARC. His comments were roundly condemned and a number of unions called on Gordon Brown to sack him if he didn't withdraw his comments. What is most scandalous is that such comments put at risk the lives of those trade unionists, journalists and human rights defenders involved in projects supported by JFC.
Kim Howells was caught out posing for photos with some of those army units and individuals alleged to be involved in human rights abuses - and now he is trying to hit out at others. He's chosen the wrong target. A campaign supported by virtually every national trade union, by leading law firms, by human rights groups is hardly a sensible target. It's time the UK government switched their aid from military to humanitarian - then ministers would have nothing to hide. JFC has issued the following statement.
Tuesday I attended the Convergence Think Tank - a creation by BERR (the old DTI) to assess the impact and opportunities presented by convergence. It was immensely depressing. Speaker after speaker talked about the great opportunities for selling stuff to consumers, for monetisation - promoting online gambling even seemed to be presented as a good thing - and barely a word was said about how convergence could be used to deliver high quality programming or enhancing the public interest or public service. Consumers were talked about a lot, citizens hardly at all. It was also clear all the 'innovators' said the key was high speed broadband, whilst at the same time none of them could answer the question who will pay for it. It's a crucial question quality content is important but it means nothing unless people have the means to access it easily - and it can't be left top a select club who can afford it - there has to be a public policy decision that universal access is a guiding principle of digital and high speed broadband.
Back to the office to catch up on letters and emails before heading to Ipswich to attend the Suffolk Branch and talk about plans to launch a local Stand up for Journalism campaign to highlight the negative impact threatened job cuts will have on the quality of the papers - a point excellently made by Peter Wilby in The Guardian. Did an interview with BBC Radio Suffolk (which was on this morning). The campaign has kicked off today with an against the infringements of the rights of photographers to cover protests in London due to heavy-handed policing (more on this later!), overseen the distribution of the latest NUJ Active, and met with President Michelle Stanistreet to discuss ADM and the latest situation at the Express. Oh, and answered endless emails...
Next up was a meeting with Tribune Editor Chris McLaughlin to discuss my monthly column, forthcoming issues for the union which may make good stories and a number of other union issues.
The afternoon was dominated by the outrageous comments made by FCO Minister Kim Howells about Justice for Colombia - an organisation I chair on behalf of the TUC - which he said effectively supports the guerrilla group, the FARC. His comments were roundly condemned and a number of unions called on Gordon Brown to sack him if he didn't withdraw his comments. What is most scandalous is that such comments put at risk the lives of those trade unionists, journalists and human rights defenders involved in projects supported by JFC.
Kim Howells was caught out posing for photos with some of those army units and individuals alleged to be involved in human rights abuses - and now he is trying to hit out at others. He's chosen the wrong target. A campaign supported by virtually every national trade union, by leading law firms, by human rights groups is hardly a sensible target. It's time the UK government switched their aid from military to humanitarian - then ministers would have nothing to hide. JFC has issued the following statement.
Tuesday I attended the Convergence Think Tank - a creation by BERR (the old DTI) to assess the impact and opportunities presented by convergence. It was immensely depressing. Speaker after speaker talked about the great opportunities for selling stuff to consumers, for monetisation - promoting online gambling even seemed to be presented as a good thing - and barely a word was said about how convergence could be used to deliver high quality programming or enhancing the public interest or public service. Consumers were talked about a lot, citizens hardly at all. It was also clear all the 'innovators' said the key was high speed broadband, whilst at the same time none of them could answer the question who will pay for it. It's a crucial question quality content is important but it means nothing unless people have the means to access it easily - and it can't be left top a select club who can afford it - there has to be a public policy decision that universal access is a guiding principle of digital and high speed broadband.
Back to the office to catch up on letters and emails before heading to Ipswich to attend the Suffolk Branch and talk about plans to launch a local Stand up for Journalism campaign to highlight the negative impact threatened job cuts will have on the quality of the papers - a point excellently made by Peter Wilby in The Guardian. Did an interview with BBC Radio Suffolk (which was on this morning). The campaign has kicked off today with an against the infringements of the rights of photographers to cover protests in London due to heavy-handed policing (more on this later!), overseen the distribution of the latest NUJ Active, and met with President Michelle Stanistreet to discuss ADM and the latest situation at the Express. Oh, and answered endless emails...
Friday, March 14, 2008
Thanks comrade
I announced today the retirement of our Deputy General Secretary John Fray who will leave at the end of May. John has served the NUJ for many years and will be a hard act to follow. In reporting to the union's Finance Committee which met today I said that Thousands of members John has helped over the years owed him a debt of gratitude and that he deserved the thanks of union members across all sectors. Other tributes were paid to John's work as both Deputy General Secretary and before that our broadcasting organiser.
John's retirement was just one item on a busy and crucial agenda. We reported the new legal agreement the union has signed with Thompsons and new legal surgeries, updated committee members on progress towards achieving savings targets, reported on discussions with the Journalist Editorial Advisory Board over future plans for The Journalist and was pleased to be able to report that the three unions representing NUJ staff were all recommending in a consultative ballot of staff acceptance of the new pension proposals after 4 months of negotiations.
It also followed 4 hours of negotiations yesterday afternoon that reached a deal just in time for me to shoot off to address Croydon Trades Union Council.
I also over the past two days have had meeting with the chair of our Disabled Members Council, Stephen Brookes and John Barsby, chair of the Finance Committee and handled a grievance hearing.
It was great to hear that NUJ President Michelle Stanistreet had been elected to the TUC Women's Committee.
John's retirement was just one item on a busy and crucial agenda. We reported the new legal agreement the union has signed with Thompsons and new legal surgeries, updated committee members on progress towards achieving savings targets, reported on discussions with the Journalist Editorial Advisory Board over future plans for The Journalist and was pleased to be able to report that the three unions representing NUJ staff were all recommending in a consultative ballot of staff acceptance of the new pension proposals after 4 months of negotiations.
It also followed 4 hours of negotiations yesterday afternoon that reached a deal just in time for me to shoot off to address Croydon Trades Union Council.
I also over the past two days have had meeting with the chair of our Disabled Members Council, Stephen Brookes and John Barsby, chair of the Finance Committee and handled a grievance hearing.
It was great to hear that NUJ President Michelle Stanistreet had been elected to the TUC Women's Committee.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
No sleep till Croydon...
I went to Cambridge University - ok, not to study (I went to Coventry Polytechnic, now Lanchester University!) - but to speak at a meeting on media bias on Monday evening. It was a lively discusion on topics ranging from The Sun's influence on elections, to coverage of asylum seekers and Hugo Chavez, to media regulation and much more besides. It was good to face such an inquisitive and lively audience but also interesting to note their sources of news are much broader than even people of my generation. They don't reject traditional media but seek out more sources to get more perspectives on issues, which has to be a good thing.
Cambridge is just part of my glamorous whistle stop tour of the highways (railways actually) of southern England I seem to be on this week. Last night I spoke in St Albans about media coverage of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan on the very day it was revealed the death toll in the conflict in Afghanistan was at its highest level and that the cost of the occupation of Iraq had doubled - no wonder the Government say they can't afford to index-link pensions, put more money in to schools, reverse civil service job cuts, provide additional funds for digital switchover or stop post office closures. Thursday I head for Croydon where I'm speaking to the Trades Council.
Back in London I attended the TUC Executive where we discussed an important campaign around tax evasion and a fairer tax regime (media companies beware, we're doing some research) and the increasingly hot topic of pension fund buyouts. There are potentially some positives and potentially lots of negatives surrounding the issue. In some cases it has led at least to the short term protection of benefits but there may well be a long term price to pay - the companies who buy them up have to make money somehow. In the media sector EMAP are one of the companies who have taken this route.
I've also had more talks about the staff pension scheme(surprise, surprise) and chaired the TUC's Trades Council's committee meeting. Letters have gone to David Milliband on behalf of the Somali Journalists Organisation about the increasing attacks on media there and to Ofcom on training in broadcasting.
Cambridge is just part of my glamorous whistle stop tour of the highways (railways actually) of southern England I seem to be on this week. Last night I spoke in St Albans about media coverage of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan on the very day it was revealed the death toll in the conflict in Afghanistan was at its highest level and that the cost of the occupation of Iraq had doubled - no wonder the Government say they can't afford to index-link pensions, put more money in to schools, reverse civil service job cuts, provide additional funds for digital switchover or stop post office closures. Thursday I head for Croydon where I'm speaking to the Trades Council.
Back in London I attended the TUC Executive where we discussed an important campaign around tax evasion and a fairer tax regime (media companies beware, we're doing some research) and the increasingly hot topic of pension fund buyouts. There are potentially some positives and potentially lots of negatives surrounding the issue. In some cases it has led at least to the short term protection of benefits but there may well be a long term price to pay - the companies who buy them up have to make money somehow. In the media sector EMAP are one of the companies who have taken this route.
I've also had more talks about the staff pension scheme(surprise, surprise) and chaired the TUC's Trades Council's committee meeting. Letters have gone to David Milliband on behalf of the Somali Journalists Organisation about the increasing attacks on media there and to Ofcom on training in broadcasting.
Friday, March 07, 2008
From Iran to Colombia and back in time for supper
Yesterday i was rent-a-mob. Went to Parliament to see Mary in our Parliamentary office and deliver letters to MPs about our upcoming Save ITV News campaign briefing later this month. On the way out I joined a short TUC lobby outside the Commons as part of a protest for trade union freedom in Iran and for the release of jailed trade unionists, in particular Mansour Onsanloo.
From there a few steps to the green opposite Parliament to speak at a lobby for victims of violence in Colombia, part of an international day of action. Colombia remains one of the most dangerous countries in the world in which to be a journalist or trade unionist. If you're both it's a risky business - and the UK government keeps giving military aid to the regime there. Justice for Colombia organised the demonstration and MPs, lawyers, trade unionists and social justice campaigners sent a strong message to the UK and Colombian government. We were joined by a senior delegation of trade unionists from Colombia, including Carlos Rodriguez, leader of the CUT, the equivalent of the TUC.
I'd been with Carlos on Wednesday night at a reception at the TUC at which I made a short speech introducing him and his colleagues.
Also on Wednesday I joined other Federation of Entertainment Unions General Secretaries in a shortlisting meeting to select a new coordinator/lobbyist for the unions to help raise our collective profile on key media and cultural issues. I also had a telephone conference with BECTU officials about the state of play at the BBC as we prepare for a consultative ballot next week.
On Thursday it was Development Committee which considered the union's structure review, the latest membership statistics, motions coming up to the union's annual conference, training and our various campaigns. Also managed to squeeze in a further pensions meeting with staff union reps.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Sweet charity
Yesterday the chair of our union-supported charity baked me a cake. It was a vain attempt to sweeten me up ahead of discussions over funding of the charity - but it was an excellent cake. It was the most civilised of negotiations - a chocolate sponge in Chris' kitchen. And a good deal was done which, subject to wider approval, provides strong guarantees for the future of NUJ Extra and also helps to temporarily reduce the financial obligations on the union.
Spent the rest of the day working from home (i know you think I was skiving - why do people always think that! I wasn't, I was amongst other things checking the environmental report to go to Annual Delegate Meeting, writing an article for a newsletter on union rights, drawing up plans for amendments to the Employment Bill, responding to letters from MPs, members and branches about campaigns, legal advice and a range of other topics.
I also sent a letter to our staff union reps setting out the latest on the the NUJ staff pension scheme and did an interview with a student writing a piece for her college magazine about the union.
Today I've met the accountant, had meetings with the Finance Manager - isn't my life filled with fun things - met committee members from London Freelance Branch, checked over NUJ Active which will go out this evening, met Linda King the training officer and written to the New Statesman about a personal case I am handling for a member. We've also put out NUJ Active - our fortnightly email newsletter and launched our new materials to support the union's Code of Conduct, particularly apt given the recent debate over the coverage of the suicides in Bridgend.
Spent the rest of the day working from home (i know you think I was skiving - why do people always think that! I wasn't, I was amongst other things checking the environmental report to go to Annual Delegate Meeting, writing an article for a newsletter on union rights, drawing up plans for amendments to the Employment Bill, responding to letters from MPs, members and branches about campaigns, legal advice and a range of other topics.
I also sent a letter to our staff union reps setting out the latest on the the NUJ staff pension scheme and did an interview with a student writing a piece for her college magazine about the union.
Today I've met the accountant, had meetings with the Finance Manager - isn't my life filled with fun things - met committee members from London Freelance Branch, checked over NUJ Active which will go out this evening, met Linda King the training officer and written to the New Statesman about a personal case I am handling for a member. We've also put out NUJ Active - our fortnightly email newsletter and launched our new materials to support the union's Code of Conduct, particularly apt given the recent debate over the coverage of the suicides in Bridgend.
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