It's meant to be the slightly quieter summer months but things show no sign of slowing down - on the contrary i managed to clock up 62 hours last week - but hey, who's counting!
So here's a quick summary of key meetings last week.
Monday evening I went to Birmingham for a debate on the media coverage of Iraq, Afghanistan and the build up to a future conflict in Iran. I find whenever I do these meetings that they start off assuming all journalists are pro-war and unthinking and then coming to understand better the pressures, censorship, economic forces and other factors which shape global journalism. I always try to balance the negative comments about the way our industry covers international conflicts with positive comments about the bravery, dedication and ethics of individual journalists.
Tuesday I took part in the ongoing pay grading review talks at the South London Press where slow progress is being made and on Wednesday I attended the TUC General Council and afterwards chaired the TUC's Working on the Edge seminar - looking at how to improve rights for freelance and casual workers amongst other atypical workers.
Thursday morning I had a national level meeting with the BBC in the light of threatened ballots at the Arabic Service and World Service South Asia section. New talks covering both disputes have been agreed.
In the afternoon I met with some NEC members to discuss issues coming up at the weekend's National Executive Council meeting, held a budget appeal meeting and took a group of NEC members to see a potential new head office building - part of the building share project the NUJ is discussing with other unions.
Friday morning at 7.30am I was at ACAS with Telegraph management to discuss redundancies and then from 11am until 7pm was at the National Executive Council meeting. Saturday was the second half of the NEC meeting until 4pm.
The major discussion was around the building share project and endorsing the budget for 2008/9 (after an excellent 2-hour discussion), as well as key industrial discussions over negotiations at the Kerryman, redundancies at The Argus, offshoring at the BBC World Service, debates over our campaigns and parliamentary work with John McDonnell MP and much, much more. The meeting also confirmed the appointment of Michelle Stanistreet as our new Deputy General Secretary. I'm really looking forward to working with her.
Sunday I tried to catch up on some emails and had Monday off, although as usual couldn't resist checking emails all day long and answering phone calls and issuing a statement on the awful decision of the CPS not to seek a prosecution in the Terry Lloyd killing.
Maybe August will be quieter...
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Reps and redundancies take centre stage
It's Saturday and I'm sat in the office writing a report for our Executive, which meets next weekend, on buildings and pensions - don't let anyone tell you the life of a General Secretary isn't glamorous!
But back to earlier this week. Tuesday I attended the TUC Executive before going on to judge the TUC Congress Rep awards for organising and health and safety. Two worthy winners will be announced at the conference in September. Recognising reps' work is vitally important - they are the lifeblood of the unions.
We're kicking off our own reps recognition campaign through The Journalist - we've had some great nominations so far. But the other side of supporting our reps came to light this week when I spoke with John Carey our longstanding and excellent rep at the Telegraph who is being made redundant. It's a sham of course to try and get rid of an effective union rep - and I'll be representing John at his appeal in the next week or so. Reps like John need to know they have the union's full support - he does.
On Tuesday afternoon I signed off the results of the union's disability audit - we came out very well. There's some work to be done but we met all the thresholds easily. Tuesday evening I spoke with Newsquest reps as part of a telephone conference and we have planned some national activity for later this year. Watch this space...
On Tuesday we also put out a statement supporting our members taking part in the local government strikes. Hundreds of press and communications officers in local government are joint Unison/NUJ and they were taking part in the 600,000 strong-action over pay.
Wednesday I had staff and budget meetings in the morning before chairing the TUC Trades Councils committee. Thursday morning I met with the new senior conciliator and Ed Sweeney, the chair of ACAS - always useful since the NUJ are one of ACAS' best/worst clients. I blame intransigent employers. If they gave us what we wanted we wouldn't have to keep resorting to ACAS disputes.
Thursday afternoon I went down to Brighton to do a chapel meeting at The Argus where the company are proposing 10 editorial redundancies. It's the usual Newsquest slash and burn - they've come up with the numbers before the plan or any indication of how the work will be carried out by the remaining staff. A really well-attended chapel meeting made it clear staff wouldn't accept such incompetence and mandated their reps to begin balloting should the company seek to move to compulsory redundancies or fail to address concerns over future workloads.
Friday morning I worked from home trying to catch up on emails and correspondence and reports I need to get done in time to be sent to NEC members. Then I went with staff reps to see a possible new building which we would share with BECTU and the GFTU and put out a statement on the excellent response to our postcard campaign against ITV's plans to axe local news services.
But back to earlier this week. Tuesday I attended the TUC Executive before going on to judge the TUC Congress Rep awards for organising and health and safety. Two worthy winners will be announced at the conference in September. Recognising reps' work is vitally important - they are the lifeblood of the unions.
We're kicking off our own reps recognition campaign through The Journalist - we've had some great nominations so far. But the other side of supporting our reps came to light this week when I spoke with John Carey our longstanding and excellent rep at the Telegraph who is being made redundant. It's a sham of course to try and get rid of an effective union rep - and I'll be representing John at his appeal in the next week or so. Reps like John need to know they have the union's full support - he does.
On Tuesday afternoon I signed off the results of the union's disability audit - we came out very well. There's some work to be done but we met all the thresholds easily. Tuesday evening I spoke with Newsquest reps as part of a telephone conference and we have planned some national activity for later this year. Watch this space...
On Tuesday we also put out a statement supporting our members taking part in the local government strikes. Hundreds of press and communications officers in local government are joint Unison/NUJ and they were taking part in the 600,000 strong-action over pay.
Wednesday I had staff and budget meetings in the morning before chairing the TUC Trades Councils committee. Thursday morning I met with the new senior conciliator and Ed Sweeney, the chair of ACAS - always useful since the NUJ are one of ACAS' best/worst clients. I blame intransigent employers. If they gave us what we wanted we wouldn't have to keep resorting to ACAS disputes.
Thursday afternoon I went down to Brighton to do a chapel meeting at The Argus where the company are proposing 10 editorial redundancies. It's the usual Newsquest slash and burn - they've come up with the numbers before the plan or any indication of how the work will be carried out by the remaining staff. A really well-attended chapel meeting made it clear staff wouldn't accept such incompetence and mandated their reps to begin balloting should the company seek to move to compulsory redundancies or fail to address concerns over future workloads.
Friday morning I worked from home trying to catch up on emails and correspondence and reports I need to get done in time to be sent to NEC members. Then I went with staff reps to see a possible new building which we would share with BECTU and the GFTU and put out a statement on the excellent response to our postcard campaign against ITV's plans to axe local news services.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Watching me, watching you, watching them...
Police surveillance of journalists who cover protests remains a live issue and on Monday I met with lawyers who are looking at ways we can challenge the harassment of individual members by the Forward Intelligence Team. I watched video footage of these police officers deliberately filming photographers, then scribbling in their notebooks whilst also reading comments from their colleagues denying they ever deliberately took such pictures.
Someone's being economical with the truth. One of the police officers is even heard to say they believe the photographers have 'ulterior motives'. Their motive is documenting the clampdown protest and the erosion of civil liberties - it's their job. You'll be hearing a lot more about this issue in the coming weeks. I have also written my Tribune column this month on the topic.
Someone's being economical with the truth. One of the police officers is even heard to say they believe the photographers have 'ulterior motives'. Their motive is documenting the clampdown protest and the erosion of civil liberties - it's their job. You'll be hearing a lot more about this issue in the coming weeks. I have also written my Tribune column this month on the topic.
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - 02.05.08. Metropolitan Police ForwardIntelligence Team (FIT) members take notes and a civilian police
photographer films and photographs journalists before an anarchist
protest outside City Hall on Friday 2 May 2008 in London, England.
(Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2008.
The Tribune column was one of many jobs I did over the weekend - writing reports for the NEC on pension funding, reading the TUC Congress reps award nominations (which I'm judging today), putting together reports on enhancing our Parliamentary work, finishing the 2008/9 budget, writing our motions for TUC Conference - it was all glamour this weekend.
Yesterday I also met with TUC Deputy General Secretary Frances O'Grady and issued a statement on the latest situation at the Telegraph.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Money - the root of all evil?
Money's certainly been the root of a lot of this week's issues. It started on Monday trying to get the funds in some old bank accounts of now-defunct NUJ branches transferred to central funds. I know we need laws against criminals laundering cash and laws to stop people stealing your dough but it is virtually impossible for the NUJ to get hold of it's own money. There's 4 of these accounts we've identified holding around £50,000 - and the banks are profiting from it. We've got to go back next week - again. This one could run and run.
On Tuesday I had meetings with some senior media managers - and what a depressing picture of the next 12 months they paint. Then I went with reps from the BBC World Service to the House of Commons to see our Parliamentary Group and plan the next stage of the campaign to protect the editorial integrity and jobs at the World Service. We also talked about the Lords report on Ownership of News and a number of other issues. Tuesday evening was the TUC Summer Reception - packed full of cabinet ministers and wannabee leaders (of all parties!). Took the chance to introduce Juan Carlos Ortada, a Colombian journalist in the UK for a few days to a number of trade unionists and politicians.
Wednesday it was back to the money theme - and pay talks with our staff unions. This year is particularly difficult budget-wise. Next up a meeting with DGS-elect Michelle Stanistreet to decide who does what, how we do it and more importantly when she can start. I'm really looking forward to working with her. Over lunchtime I met with a member from the BBC World Service who has a particularly difficult legal case - and we went through the options before I headed off to meet with Bectu General Secretary Gerry Morrissey and legal advisers to discuss the potential pitfalls in our building share project.
Wednesday evening I went to the National Theatre to see the Revenger's Tragedy - it macabre, loud but brilliant too.
Spent Thursday morning at home catching up on letters before a lunchtime telephone conference with our reps across Trinity Mirror to discuss the jobs situation in the wake of the share crash and the current economic situation. Mileage rates, pay and job security as well as cross-title working were all covered.
Quick dash to the Home Office for a meeting with Vernon Coaker about neo-nazi website Redwatch's targeting of journalists and trade unionists. There are more than 100 NUJ members featured on the site - a number of whom have had their homes or cars attacked by right wing thugs. Unfortunately Vernon Coaker was called away (to discuss knife crime with the Home Secretary) and so we met with others working on the issue.
Off to the South London Press for the next stage in the negotiations on a new pay grade review. Some progress made.
This morning it's back to money issues. It's the budget meeting. I'm off to count the pennies. My mum always told me if you look after the pennies the pounds will take care of themselves. I hope she was telling me the truth!
On Tuesday I had meetings with some senior media managers - and what a depressing picture of the next 12 months they paint. Then I went with reps from the BBC World Service to the House of Commons to see our Parliamentary Group and plan the next stage of the campaign to protect the editorial integrity and jobs at the World Service. We also talked about the Lords report on Ownership of News and a number of other issues. Tuesday evening was the TUC Summer Reception - packed full of cabinet ministers and wannabee leaders (of all parties!). Took the chance to introduce Juan Carlos Ortada, a Colombian journalist in the UK for a few days to a number of trade unionists and politicians.
Wednesday it was back to the money theme - and pay talks with our staff unions. This year is particularly difficult budget-wise. Next up a meeting with DGS-elect Michelle Stanistreet to decide who does what, how we do it and more importantly when she can start. I'm really looking forward to working with her. Over lunchtime I met with a member from the BBC World Service who has a particularly difficult legal case - and we went through the options before I headed off to meet with Bectu General Secretary Gerry Morrissey and legal advisers to discuss the potential pitfalls in our building share project.
Wednesday evening I went to the National Theatre to see the Revenger's Tragedy - it macabre, loud but brilliant too.
Spent Thursday morning at home catching up on letters before a lunchtime telephone conference with our reps across Trinity Mirror to discuss the jobs situation in the wake of the share crash and the current economic situation. Mileage rates, pay and job security as well as cross-title working were all covered.
Quick dash to the Home Office for a meeting with Vernon Coaker about neo-nazi website Redwatch's targeting of journalists and trade unionists. There are more than 100 NUJ members featured on the site - a number of whom have had their homes or cars attacked by right wing thugs. Unfortunately Vernon Coaker was called away (to discuss knife crime with the Home Secretary) and so we met with others working on the issue.
Off to the South London Press for the next stage in the negotiations on a new pay grade review. Some progress made.
This morning it's back to money issues. It's the budget meeting. I'm off to count the pennies. My mum always told me if you look after the pennies the pounds will take care of themselves. I hope she was telling me the truth!
Monday, July 07, 2008
The news in brief...
I've struggled to keep up to date with the blog since I got back from Glastonbury so here's a quick whistle stop tour of the past 7 days.
Glastonbury was fantastic - no trench foot and I even came back with a voice this year. Vampire Weekend were superb, Amy Winehouse awful and Manu Chao outstanding.
But the real reason I was there was to help promote the trade union cause at Glastonbury and social justice campaigns. You can see what i got up to here
Back on the Monday and straight to a meeting with John McDonnell to talk about our Parliamentary work. On the Tuesday I went to the TUC Press and PR awards where The Journalist won in the photographic category for Alan Wylie's piture of Alan Johnston enjoying the taste of freedom in Glasgow.
On Wednesday I met with staff and secondees in the broadcasting sector and on Thursday attended the Foreign Office Freedom of Expression panel at which I was able to raise the case of Mohamed Omar. I had meetings with staff in the afternoon.
On Friday I attended the Federation of Entertainment Unions meeting and then met with BECTU and property specialists to talk about our possible building share and then went to the TUC's National Minimum Wage Working Group to push our concerns about the abuse of work experience and non-payment of the NMW.
Then back to Headland House for the result of the union's Deputy General Secretary election.
Saturday I went to Cardiff to speak on the trade union agenda at the Wales Labour Grassroots meeting and on Sunday spoke with Dave Crouch on the media and war at Marxism 2008 - the annual 3-day series of political debate and discussion.
I'll try to keep things more up to date this week!
Glastonbury was fantastic - no trench foot and I even came back with a voice this year. Vampire Weekend were superb, Amy Winehouse awful and Manu Chao outstanding.
But the real reason I was there was to help promote the trade union cause at Glastonbury and social justice campaigns. You can see what i got up to here
Back on the Monday and straight to a meeting with John McDonnell to talk about our Parliamentary work. On the Tuesday I went to the TUC Press and PR awards where The Journalist won in the photographic category for Alan Wylie's piture of Alan Johnston enjoying the taste of freedom in Glasgow.
On Wednesday I met with staff and secondees in the broadcasting sector and on Thursday attended the Foreign Office Freedom of Expression panel at which I was able to raise the case of Mohamed Omar. I had meetings with staff in the afternoon.
On Friday I attended the Federation of Entertainment Unions meeting and then met with BECTU and property specialists to talk about our possible building share and then went to the TUC's National Minimum Wage Working Group to push our concerns about the abuse of work experience and non-payment of the NMW.
Then back to Headland House for the result of the union's Deputy General Secretary election.
Saturday I went to Cardiff to speak on the trade union agenda at the Wales Labour Grassroots meeting and on Sunday spoke with Dave Crouch on the media and war at Marxism 2008 - the annual 3-day series of political debate and discussion.
I'll try to keep things more up to date this week!
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