So Mark Thompson has finally delivered his MacTaggart lecture and I'm sure it is being trashed by many newspapers but there is much to be applauded in the speech. It is a strong defence of public service broadcasting and the BBC and a clear rebuff to the nonsense talked by James Murdoch at last year's event. Particularly welcome is the case made for a retransmission levy - which the NUJ has long been campaigning for - which would see those who rebroadcast public service content but pay nothing for its creation pay a charge to enable more investment in original content. There were also some welcome comments about the need to tackle executive excess at the beeb.
But the speech also failed to address some real current concerns - like the threat to staff pensions which has sparked a revolt inside the corporation. You cannot make great programmes without great staff. They are fundamental to what makes the BBC so popular. Yet they are demoralised and undervalued by a management which has rewarded itself and is now undermining their pay and conditions. The BBC would stand a much better chance of fighting off it's enemies if it was united itself. To rebuild that unity staff want the DG delivering more robust defences of what they do and less waging war on their pensions. When the unions declare their ballot results next week all that is good about tonight's speech will be lost amidst the headlines over strike threats and pension robberies. It's not too late for the BBC management to stop that happening. Stop the pensions robbery!
Friday, August 27, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Crunch time for BBC pensions dispute
I am heading over to BBC World Service later today to do the next of our BBC pensions dispute ballot update meetings - a chance to bring members up to date on negotiations, progress of the ballot and make sure we turn out the vote and keep recruiting.
Yesterday I did a similar meeting at TV Centre - and it is clear that a massive majority will vote yes in the ballot. We're talking North Korean election proportions here!
TV Centre is plastered in posters, stickers and leaflets. In the corridoor leading to the newsroom the photos of each of the BBC's high profile news presenters have had a BBC Pensions Robbery sticker added to the jacket lapels. Very tasteful.
The UK specialists team have gone a step further!
Since the ballot was announced we've had 3 sets of negotiations with BBC management -they've been constructive but nowhere near enough progress has been made and there's a lot of hard talking to be done still. That's why it's so important we keep up the campaign...and are ready to take action if the BBC do not agree to stop the pensions robbery.
Next talks take place tomorrow.
Yesterday I did a similar meeting at TV Centre - and it is clear that a massive majority will vote yes in the ballot. We're talking North Korean election proportions here!
TV Centre is plastered in posters, stickers and leaflets. In the corridoor leading to the newsroom the photos of each of the BBC's high profile news presenters have had a BBC Pensions Robbery sticker added to the jacket lapels. Very tasteful.
The UK specialists team have gone a step further!
Since the ballot was announced we've had 3 sets of negotiations with BBC management -they've been constructive but nowhere near enough progress has been made and there's a lot of hard talking to be done still. That's why it's so important we keep up the campaign...and are ready to take action if the BBC do not agree to stop the pensions robbery.
Next talks take place tomorrow.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Save public libraries
The Mirror is reporting today the threat to public libraries from the ConDem government's proposals to get shops, charities and volunteers to run them. NUJ Deputy General Secretary Michelle Stanistreet has stepped in to support the campaign to save our libraries. We're working with Unison to oppose library closures.
Wirral recently closed 11 of its 23 libraries and closures are happening all over the place. Spending on books is already massively down before the latest round of cuts. If these plans go ahead another 1000 could go. Time to unite library staff and users to save public libraries.
Wirral recently closed 11 of its 23 libraries and closures are happening all over the place. Spending on books is already massively down before the latest round of cuts. If these plans go ahead another 1000 could go. Time to unite library staff and users to save public libraries.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Charles' (union) family welcome him..
It was great to sit and have a meal with Charles Atangana last night after his release from Dover Immigration Removal Centre. Today I welcomed him to the NUJ's headquarters where we are busy planning the next stages of the campaign to stop his deportation.
There's information on how you can get involved here
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Charles is free! Now step up the fight to stop the deportation
Charles Atangana has won his bail hearing - and he's on his way from Dover to the NUJ headquarters now. It's brilliant news. Thanks to everyone who helped!
(c) Guy Smallman - Speaking to protestors outside Charles' bail hearing
But this is just the beginning. Now we need to step up the fight to stop his deportation. Ideas for action here - and keep your eyes on the NUJ website for more activity.
(c) Guy Smallman - Speaking to protestors outside Charles' bail hearing
But this is just the beginning. Now we need to step up the fight to stop his deportation. Ideas for action here - and keep your eyes on the NUJ website for more activity.
Free, free Charles Atangana!
Been out protesting against the threatened deportation of Charles Atangana at his bail hearing. Expect some more news shortly...but for now here's the vice-president's blog on the demo.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Giving up...
How is BBC Director General Mark Thompson going to survive on just £670,000 a year - that will be all he's entitled to once he gives up his pension bung and his temporary plan to forgo a month's pay.
Of course it's welcome that he is at last reacting to the public and staff outcry over management greed - but let's be clear this is being done in response to the unions' campaign against the pensions robbery going on and to the fact that the pension top up payments made to senior managers have hit the headlines.
And it is too little, too late. The BBC have had pensions holidays, underpaid over a number of years and put millions in to executive pensions - now they are asking staff to pay the price. The BBC must guarantee the value of staff pensions already earned or face the prospect of co-ordinated strike action.
It's no coincidence the BBC will put forward new proposals on 1 September - it's the day the unions' ballots close and a day before our reps meet to decide the next steps. Be warned - there is so much anger people cannot be easily bought off by tinkering with the current proposals. Take them off the table and sit down with the unions and negotiate. That way we can avoid the need for strike action and work towards a fair solution.
Of course it's welcome that he is at last reacting to the public and staff outcry over management greed - but let's be clear this is being done in response to the unions' campaign against the pensions robbery going on and to the fact that the pension top up payments made to senior managers have hit the headlines.
And it is too little, too late. The BBC have had pensions holidays, underpaid over a number of years and put millions in to executive pensions - now they are asking staff to pay the price. The BBC must guarantee the value of staff pensions already earned or face the prospect of co-ordinated strike action.
It's no coincidence the BBC will put forward new proposals on 1 September - it's the day the unions' ballots close and a day before our reps meet to decide the next steps. Be warned - there is so much anger people cannot be easily bought off by tinkering with the current proposals. Take them off the table and sit down with the unions and negotiate. That way we can avoid the need for strike action and work towards a fair solution.
Friday, August 06, 2010
We're on our way to Europe
The NUJ is to challenge the UK's anti-union laws in the European Court of Human Rights.
Alongside the RMT, John Hendy QC is preapring a case for the the NUJ to seek a ruling that UK employment laws contravene freedom of association rights.
The full story is here
Alongside the RMT, John Hendy QC is preapring a case for the the NUJ to seek a ruling that UK employment laws contravene freedom of association rights.
The full story is here
Thursday, August 05, 2010
Government cuts make journalism more elitist
Access to becoming a professional journalist has become ever more restricted in recent years as first grants were abolished, then fees shot up and unpaid work experience became the norm.
Submissions to the previous Government's Panel on Fair Access to the Professions showed that more than two-thirds of those entering journalism now came from households where the main wage earner worked in a professional or senior managerial occupation. Under 10 per cent of new entrants came from a working class background, with just three per cent coming from homes headed by semi or unskilled workers.
Now things are set to get worse. Government cuts mean lecturers are being sacked and subsidies for courses being withdrawn. The NCTJ pre-entry course at Warwickshire College is to close. The withdrawal of subsidies meant the course fees more than doubled to £3700 and unsurprisingly too few students signed up. The only NCTJ-accredited photojournalism course at Sheffield was also facing closure but has been reprieved, but only at the expense of increased fees.
The government talks of social mobility - but its cuts are having the exact opposite effect. It is bad enough with the lack of enforcement of the National Minimum Wage allowing employers to get away with exploiting new entrants and breaking the law without students from poorer backgrounds being priced out before they even begin.
Submissions to the previous Government's Panel on Fair Access to the Professions showed that more than two-thirds of those entering journalism now came from households where the main wage earner worked in a professional or senior managerial occupation. Under 10 per cent of new entrants came from a working class background, with just three per cent coming from homes headed by semi or unskilled workers.
Now things are set to get worse. Government cuts mean lecturers are being sacked and subsidies for courses being withdrawn. The NCTJ pre-entry course at Warwickshire College is to close. The withdrawal of subsidies meant the course fees more than doubled to £3700 and unsurprisingly too few students signed up. The only NCTJ-accredited photojournalism course at Sheffield was also facing closure but has been reprieved, but only at the expense of increased fees.
The government talks of social mobility - but its cuts are having the exact opposite effect. It is bad enough with the lack of enforcement of the National Minimum Wage allowing employers to get away with exploiting new entrants and breaking the law without students from poorer backgrounds being priced out before they even begin.
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
Stop the Deportation of Charles Atangana!
NUJ member Charles Atangana is facing imminent deportation. If he is deported his life is in serious danger. The union has secured a temporary reprieve whilst seeking judicial review of the decision to deport him to Cameroon.
But the situation is still urgent. Get sending letters to your MPs to get them to take the case up with Theresa May.
All the information about Charles and the dangers independent journalists face in Cameroon are on the NUJ's website. MPs, Lords, trade unions, the local community in Glasgow where Charles has been based and many others have taken up his case but we still need to up the pressure. Keep fighting for Charles to stay!
But the situation is still urgent. Get sending letters to your MPs to get them to take the case up with Theresa May.
All the information about Charles and the dangers independent journalists face in Cameroon are on the NUJ's website. MPs, Lords, trade unions, the local community in Glasgow where Charles has been based and many others have taken up his case but we still need to up the pressure. Keep fighting for Charles to stay!
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
Media bosses break the law
Cor what a shocker!
Media companies are breaking the law by using unpaid interns to fill staff shortages.
The NUJ has been saying this for years now - good to see others backing up our view.
Guidelines are great, reports useful - now we need to see some enforcement of the law. You can be sure if it was about 'bogus' asylum seekers, benefit cheats or striking tube workers much of the media would be calling for the full force of the law to be brought to bear on those who flout the legislation. Most of them seem strangely silent on this kind of law-breaking.
Media companies are breaking the law by using unpaid interns to fill staff shortages.
The NUJ has been saying this for years now - good to see others backing up our view.
Guidelines are great, reports useful - now we need to see some enforcement of the law. You can be sure if it was about 'bogus' asylum seekers, benefit cheats or striking tube workers much of the media would be calling for the full force of the law to be brought to bear on those who flout the legislation. Most of them seem strangely silent on this kind of law-breaking.
Be a BBC fraud buster...
Union members at the BBC could have a lot of fun with the current fraud-busting exercise on the BBC's intranet.
Senior management are launching a drive against fraud in the BBC. Apparently they've realised that there are people engaging in "behaviour resulting in personal enrichment through deception" or who are guilty of "abuse of position" or the "deliberate misuse or misappropriation of BBC resources or assets”.
There's a highly entertaining course on Gateway and if you are aware of anyone who has - oh I don't know - tried to defraud BBC pensioners or taken a jolly to see a football match on the other side of the planet - business class - and then charged that to the licence fee payer you're supposed to go to the Anti Fraud Framework and hit the red button marked Report Fraud Here.
Go on, you know it makes sense....it's a public service!
Kicking off today by making sure BBC ballot material gets out to reps in advance of mass leafleting and desk drops on Friday. It means there's lots of envelopes to stuff, stickers to distribute, posters to get up - as the battle against the BBC Pensions robbery hots up. The BBC keep saying they want to carry on talking - so do we but it's pointless them repeating the same mantra over and over again. What's needed is for them to guarantee the value of pensions already earned, take the 1% cap off the table and start serious negotiations about alternative means to tackle the deficit.
Senior management are launching a drive against fraud in the BBC. Apparently they've realised that there are people engaging in "behaviour resulting in personal enrichment through deception" or who are guilty of "abuse of position" or the "deliberate misuse or misappropriation of BBC resources or assets”.
There's a highly entertaining course on Gateway and if you are aware of anyone who has - oh I don't know - tried to defraud BBC pensioners or taken a jolly to see a football match on the other side of the planet - business class - and then charged that to the licence fee payer you're supposed to go to the Anti Fraud Framework and hit the red button marked Report Fraud Here.
Go on, you know it makes sense....it's a public service!
Kicking off today by making sure BBC ballot material gets out to reps in advance of mass leafleting and desk drops on Friday. It means there's lots of envelopes to stuff, stickers to distribute, posters to get up - as the battle against the BBC Pensions robbery hots up. The BBC keep saying they want to carry on talking - so do we but it's pointless them repeating the same mantra over and over again. What's needed is for them to guarantee the value of pensions already earned, take the 1% cap off the table and start serious negotiations about alternative means to tackle the deficit.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)