Lucky 13?

The blog has risen one place in this year's Tigmoo guide to the top union blogs - it now stands at number 13. Note to self - must do better.

It's been the first day in weeks I've not had to spend most of it dealing with the BBC pensions dispute so instead I've spent it dealing with the NUJ pension scheme and attending our Finance Committee. Good decision to back Ken Capstick's legal action against the NUM over his unfair dismissal. Good to see too that we've won over £350,000 for members in the last few weeks. It clearly pays to be union.

Finance Committee also had a long discussion about rule changes to enable our Group Chapels (groups of workplace reps all owned by the same parent company) a greater role in the democracy of the union. These are the industrial activists of the union and we need their voice at our conference and at all levels of the union. No-one disagrees with that, the big debate was over voting systems. Do we say you can only vote by a show of hands at a physical meeting or do we enable active participation through Skype, text voting, video conferencing or any other form of voting. The traditionalists held sway. I think it may be another matter at the Executive next month.

Having to delay my departure to TUC conference because of the BBC dispute. Meeting with BBC followed by emergency reps meeting on Monday. Deal or no deal? All will be revealed on Monday....