Jeremy Dear, General Secretary of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), said yesterday that the union’s National Executive Committee (NEC) would rethink the Training department’s funding in light of new proposals.

A motion brought forward to the union’s Annual Delegate Conference (ADM), suggested that the NEC should look into the profit-making possibilities of the training courses.

Although the motion had to be withdrawn due to an inaccuracy, Dear said the NEC would have backed it had it gone ahead.

He said: “Had the motion been in order we [the NEC] would have supported it. We would have investigated whether or not this was a possibility.

“NUJ training has a good reputation. It’s successful, and if we can make it more successful and available to more people then we’ll certainly look at it.”

Motion

Dear added: “Costs are a massive issue for us. Therefore we have to look at all the costs. But if this is something that could not be a cost but a benefit then we would not only keep it, we would expand it.”

The union was looking to cut one member of staff from the department as a cost saving measure.

Motion 132 instructed that the NEC should instead “investigate NUJ training operating as a profit centre, marketing its commercial course more aggressively and using its profits to continue providing cheap courses for members”.

The motion was withdrawn by the London Magazine branch over a mix-up about how the department’s salaries are funded. However, the principles of the motion will be taken on board.

Training

Last year the Training department ran 87 courses. 60 were in professional journalist training. The department also organises training for commercial companies and trade union training.

The Training department was also responsible for organising the students who have been reporting on ADM.

At the moment the union’s commercial training programmes are only advertised in The Journalist and on the NUJ website. One option would be to expand this marketing to bring in more commercial clients.

Over the last year commercial clients have included the Magazine company Informa, the Open University, Lexus Nexus and the Cabinet Office.

Linda King, the union’s Education and Training Officer, said: “We are getting more and more demand [for our courses] as members are losing jobs. In the current economic climate a way of retaining that membership is through retraining the individuals who have lost their jobs.”

We will watch the NEC’s progress with interest.

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NUJ Training

London Magazine Branch

All of the agenda items on relations with other organisations passed today at the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) Annual Delegate Meeting (ADM).

The motions covered involvement with the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the need to urge other unions to employ NUJ members over non-members. This case was argued most strongly by freelance writers and photographers.

Motion 78 called upon the National Executive Committee to campaign “actively and determinedly for union work to go to union members”. The General Secretary was instructed to write to TUC requesting this policy be adopted throughout the trade unions.

The Irish Executive Council and Scottish Executive Council will take the same steps.

The following motion also called on the NEC to write to the national and regional offices of trade unions, asking them to only engage NUJ members when they carrying out media work.

Pressure

The Oxford and District branch’s proposal was fuelled by recent actions by Unite officials at Pearson Schools. The officals had pre-empted a ballot by the local NUJ chapel which would have called for the recognition within the designated bargaining unit. A single-union agreement was signed between Unite and Pearson Schools, an act that prompted many of Unite’s own members within the publisher to resign in protest.

The motion called on the TUC to defend the principles of solidarity between unions, in light of the single-union agreement.

Motion 82 focused on the undermining of the UK Local Government Pension Scheme, and instructed NEC to give plenty of publicity and coverage to the struggle over pensions.

The next two motions covered solidarity with local trade councils and the importance of maintaining quality in the book and journal sector respectively.

85 was carried, recognising the work of the Campaign Against Climate Change.

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TUC

Unite

Campaign Against Climate Change

The membership subscription rates for the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) are set to rise up to 15p a week, after a decision taken at the union’s Annual Delegate Meeting.

The National Executive Committee proposed the motion with Chris Frost speaking for it. Although there was opposition, the vote passed unanimously. An amendment from the BBC World Service asking for a smaller increase for Grade 3 members fell.

The changes, which will be introduced from 1 March 2010, are as follows:

• Grade 1 – 8p/€0.08 per week
• Grade 2 – 12p/€0.12 per week
• Grade 3 – 15p/€0.15 per week

This will be the first increase in subscription for three years. Over the course of the year it equates to an increase of £4-9.

Challenge

Frost, Chair of the Finance Committee, told delegates that a “two pronged approach” was needed to save the union’s revenue. The first was the passing of Motion 1 yesterday – ADMs will now meet every 18 months.

The second came with the passing of Motion 54.

The BBC World Service’s amendment would have seen Grade 3 members also pay 12p extra per week. They argued that Grade 3 members who were earning less than Grade 2 would be paying more for their membership. In the end however, they were the only branch to vote for the amendment.

Withdrawn

The NEC withdrew Motion 55, which would have seen sterling subscription rates increasing each year at either 3% or the rate of RPI, whichever is lower.

In a statement released this decision was put down to the current economic climate.

The NEC wrote: “In the current economic climate we recognise this will be tough for members. Tougher still will be having to tell members we cannot provide the support they need or deserve. Recognising that difficulty – the NEC will seek permission to withdraw Motion 55 and work with members to build the union as the best response to the current climate.”

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NUJ Membership

National Union of Journalists (NUJ) freelance photographer Guy Smallman who was injured during the G8 protest in Geneva in 2003 has won his damages case against the State of Geneva.

Smallman, from Brixton, South London, a delegate to the NUJ’s Annual Delegate Meeting (ADM) was a freelance photographer covering the event. He had to undergo two rounds of emergency surgery after a police concussion grenade exploded at his feet, causing permanent damage to his left calf.

For the past six years Smallman has been locked in a legal battle with the State of Geneva over his right to compensation. Although he won the initial case, the State appealed and won.

Compensation

Smallman and his lawyers challenged this ruling and yesterday won his case. He is now in a position to claim compensation against the State of Geneva.

He said: “This morning was a bit tense. As it turned out I won the case hands down, they can’t appeal, so immediately I’m owed all the court fees which is very good, and now I can start a legal process for me to get compensation which it is now guaranteed. They have to give me something.”

There has been no definite figure for the amount Smallman could win in compensation, but he will receive up to €18,000 in legal fees.

Matter of principle

“I’m not holding my hopes out. It was more a matter of principle than anything else. Although the compensation would be nice,” he said.

The protest took place on 1 June 2003, against a meeting of the G8. Reports vary as to how many were in attendance, with the police estimating 50,000 and protest organisers saying 120,000. The protest was largely peaceful.

In some areas however the Geneva police were accused of aggressively herding the crowd in an attempt to provoke some kind of reaction. When the crowd reacted the police responded with tear gas and the grenades.

Smallman was part of a retreating group when he was injured.

The State had originally claimed that Smallman’s injuries were sustained by a firework thrown by a protester. When they appealed the initial ruling last year they argued that their police officers had acted within guidelines and the Smallman’s injuries were just an unfortunate accident.

But video footage emerged of the photographer running away from the police as the officers threw one of the grenades.

Smallman said: “They said they had acting within their guidelines which they clearly hadn’t, unless you think it acceptable to throw high explosive at journalists as they’re running away.”

He added: “They lied so many times it was water off a duck’s back. I never had any expectations of the police in Switzerland. I don’t have any expectations of the police anyway, that’s my experience.”

Links from this story (open new windows):

State of Geneva

Geneva Police

Guy Smallman

LFB

The motion, which called for group chapels be represented at Annual Delegate Meetings and Special Delegate Meetings, “with the same tabling, speaking and voting rights as branches”, was passed with no opposition speakers and only minimal votes against.

Peter Murray proposed the motion on behalf of the National Executive Council. He spoke of the need to bring members and activists from frontline campaigns “right into the policy-making process”.

The front line

The recent dispute between Trinity Mirror and NUJ members in Merseyside and the Midlands provided a back drop to Vice President’s comments.

Calling on the recent developments Murray said: “If there’s any question mark over whether this motion is urgent, consider this. The NEC two days ago voted to give authority to the union calling industrial action at three different Trinity Mirror titles.

He added: “So ask yourself this: what will be the best place to co-ordinate and plan the members’ response across Trinity Mirror? [...] The best place is through the group chapel.”

Changes to the rules

Although this is not a rule-changing ADM, Motion 7 is one of several proposals set to be put forward throughout the weekend which will involve a change to the union’s rules.

In the case of Motion 7 the change was allowed as the NEC had been instructed to bring a proposal forward to this effect at the last Annual Delegate Meeting.

Geographical imbalance

Although chapels will have the same voting rights as branches they will not be allowed to vote in elections for ADM-elected bodies. This is to ensure that there is no geographical over-representation or imbalance in favour of a particular branch.

Proposed model Standing Orders for group chapels will also be introduced to allow each chapel to elect a delegate as part of its business prior to any ADM or SDM.

In the opening move of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) Annual Delegate Meeting, James Doherty was elected as Chair.

NUJ Vice President, Peter Murray, proposed current President Doherty. Murrey moved “in the spirit of voting against the anti-union legislation”.

Doherty thanked Murray and the delegates for voting him in and welcomed being mentioned in the same sentence as Arthur Scargill.

The motion read: “This ADM agrees that conference shall be chaired by the immediate Post President James Doherty.”