The NUJ in the newsStaff at the Financial Times recently had an impressive victory in standing up for four Chinese journalists. Management had planned to move the four to China and cut their pay by up to 50 Per cent. In only a few days NUJ members organised a mass chapel meeting and beat back the attack. Here, Father of the Chapel, Dave Crouch, explains how the victory was achieved and how it has improved morale on the paper
The NUJ Left will be holding a meeting on Saturday, 6 March in London from midday to 4pm. There will be a session on Expose, the media campaign against the BNP, which was launched recently. Also there will be sessions on the Press Association, union democracy and organising activists.
The immediate defence by journalists at the Financial Times of Chinese colleagues threatened by management with redundancy has brought complete victory. The FT chapel demanded unanimously that the redundancy threat be lifted from their four colleagues on the FTChinese website, and warned that otherwise FT journalists would ballot on industrial action. So management changed its mind.
The Scott Trust, which controls the Guardian group, is to sell many of its regional titles and websites to Trinity Mirror. This includes titles such as the Manchester Evening News.
The NUJ is balloting members at the Blackpool Gazette and Herald for industrial action.
EXPOSE, a new campaign of media workers and students – journalists, technicians, designers, musicians and actors – has been launched to expose the British National Party as the racists, homophobes, anti-Semites, women-haters and fascists that they are.
Launch meeting
Tuesday 23 Feb, 7pm
Amnesty International Human Rights Action Centre
17-25 New Inn Yard
Shoreditch, EC2A 3EA
Health and Safety at work is key issue for trade unionists especially in the media. Issues including RSI, back and neck pains, long hours, stress, screen breaks and eyesight can all affect media workers.
NUJ members around the country are continuing to fight back against attacks on jobs, quality and conditions.
The NUJ has welcomed a decision by the BBC to develop its Radio Foyle output in Derry, rather than scrap it. The change of heart follows a campaign by local NUJ members and leaders of all sections of the community to keep the service going.
The Chilcott Inquiry has focused people’s attention on the war against Iraq.
This week legal advisers at the Foreign Office said they believed the war to be illegal but their advice was ignored. Friday is the day when Tony Blair gives evidence.
The Stop the War coalition is having a London wide public meeting Wednesday night and organising activities both Thursday, Brown’s Afghanistan war conference. and Friday morning, when Blair will be turning up to give evidence at the Chilcott Inquiry. Here are the details