With membership numbers falling as the industry is ravaged by redundancies, the NUJ has today admitted the very real need to focus on recruitment.
In order to boost numbers, and continue the work of the union, it needs to branch out into new sectors, most importantly, the new media and digital media areas.
Today delegates voted to promote – even more actively – the recruitment of internet journalists, and welcomed the completion of a new study into the digital media industries in the UK, which could be used as bases for recruitment as motion 161 was carried.
The debate also turned to the situation at PA, who undermined recent strike action at Yorkshire Post Newspapers by providing copy. The room realised the need to focus recruitment at PA, to head off any future situations where the company goes against the action of NUJ members.
More on New Media in the NUJ here
National Union of Journalists (NUJ) delegates failed to remove a paragraph from motion 145 that welcomed the Trade Union Congress’s support for a boycott of goods from “illegal Israeli settlement in occupied parts of Gaza and the West Bank”.
The motion did not make an Israeli boycott NUJ policy, calling only for the union to call for an end to arms sales to Israel and for the union to go on a fact-fing trade union delegation to Palestine and Israel.
The NEC opposed the motion and delegates tried to remove the paragraph but Pat Healy of Standing Orders Committee said the motion had to be taken as a whole. Delegates voted overwhelmingly in favour.
The concern was that delegates were unaware that the motion would include this paragraph as it had not been printed in the Agenda.
A motion proposed by South Yorkshire branch has instructed the union to take part in a fact-finding mission to Palestine/Israel with other trade unions.
Opposition
The National Executive Council (NEC) called on delegates to vote for an amendment which would have excluded the NUJ from the next trade union visit to the region.
“We want a freedom of action for our trade union that we’ve kept for 100 years and want to keep for another 100,” said one NEC member.
Other said they feared for the safety of their colleagues if they joined the delegation.
“I for one don’t want our colleagues to be put in danger just because want to nail our colours to the mast for the sake of our conscience,” said one NEC member.
Truth
But a number of speakers pressed home the importance of NUJ members taking part in the multi-union visit.
“The Middle East is not a football match where journalists can hold impartiality,” said David Crouch of the London Central Branch. “We must be on the side of those who suffer most.”
And another speaker added: “This is not about taking sides but taking a stand for the truth.”
Motion 146, which instructs the NEC to give assistance to journalists facing persecution in Sri Lanka and campaign against denial of basic rights, passed.
WELSH members of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) are fighting back despite the “UK media ignoring and patronising Wales.”
Dangerous
Meic Birtwistle, National Executive Council member for Wales, told delegates Welsh democracy was suffering as the result of a lack of resources for Welsh journalists and London news outlets turning a blind eye to Wales.
“There is a dangerous situation in Wales,” said Birtwistle.
“Our society pays through the lack of representation, our democracy pays in terms of accountability, our journalists in job cuts but we are fighting back.”
Outpost
And Ken Smith, Chair of NUJ Wales Council, said the London media treated Wales as a colonial outpost.
He told us only the News of the World still maintains a journalist to cover Wales out of all the London papers, which had left parts of Wales as an information desert, and the Big Issue Cymru has moved production to Scotland.
Fightback
But Smith, who has lost his own job as a sub-editor at a regional Welsh newspaper in the last year, was ready to try new ways to resurrect Welsh media and democracy.
“We are looking to form an organic local news network in Wales based on a journalists’ co-operative, much like an actors co-op,” he said.
Smith also said any cooperative would be able to offer NUJ rates of pay and give journalists the environment to flourish without the pressure of a organisation obsessed with delivering profits to shareholders.
A FIERY debate erupted today after it was suggested the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) should adopt a no platform policy on reporting the British National Party (BNP).
A composite of motions, moved by the NUJ National Executive Council (NEC), which aimed to advise journalists on reporting the BNP responsibly eventually passed.
No platform
But a number of members spoke in favour of adopting a no platform policy which would mean NUJ members would refuse to give any coverage to the BNP.
Two amendments to the original composite motion were forwarded but eventually fell after an hour long debate.
The first from the Press and PR branch of the NUJ called on the NEC to “fully support any journalist who refuses to work with members of the BNP” and support “black members who refuse to allow BNP members to use their publication or TV/radio channel as a platform.”
The second amendment from the South Yorkshire branch called on the BBC “to reverse its decision to invite BNP leader Nick Griffin on to Question Time.”
Split
Never again was shouted by members arguing for and against adopting a no platform policy.
One member of the NEC asking delegates to reject the amendments said: “We live in a democracy, it’s a price we pay, it’s a price worth paying.
“I would find it disheartening if my union denied freedom of speech.”
However David Peel of NUJ Norfolk branch who spoke to support of one of the amendments said: “I fought the National Front in 1979 and it breaks my heart that I’m still in this fight.
“I will refuse to work with the BNP.”
Four other motions regarding the union’s policy on the BNP carried: 101, 102, 104 and 106 (agenda paper).
NEC will campaign for the completion of the Equality Bill before the next General Election as motion 41 was carried.
The Equality Bill will extend anti-discrimination to the provision of goods, facilities and services, as well as offering further protection against discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation. The Equality Council, who submitted the motion, warned that it is likely to fall unless passed by the current Parliament.
The motion also called for the NEC to campaign, through the Parliamentary Group, for age discrimination measures in the field of health and social care to be implemented alongside all other areas. Under the current Bill, these areas will not become law at the same time as other measures.
Anne Coltart from Equality Council said that age discrimination was a problem for all workers. “Older people will cost more in the future. Ageism discriminates against older and younger employee,” she said.
Selina Scott, who successfully sued her employer for age discrimination and won £250,000 compensation, was congratulated in motion 42. NEC will now discuss how to toughen up anti-age discrimination laws with the NUJ Parliamentary Group.
Motion 57: Brains and Breasts
If anyone was tired this morning Motion 57 soon woke them up.
The motion was put forward by the Equality Council suggesting that the NUJ must address the gender imbalance between male and female representation on elected councils.
With a 40% female membership it is deemed embarrassing that only 2.5 seats on elected councils are occupied by women.
As previously reported on this site, Bristol branch put forward the successful amendment to stop quotas being introduced for gender-balanced nominations. However, were some arguments not verging on rather silly?
For example, “What if there is only one position open in my branch, do I give it to the woman or the man?” Well, if the woman has been nominated that is sufficient. What seems to have been lost is that the motion complete with quota proposal only wanted more female nominees. It was not calling for direct elections of women members.
Looking Forward
Although the Equality Council wanted to withdraw the motion completely after the amendment saying they would be back next year, it must be remembered the motion still contains action and it did not fail. The NEC must put into practice the mentoring and support of women members in chapels and branches as well as recognising the difficulties women still face. Not everything has been lost.
As a student member and first time ADM attendee, I do not feel ready or fully informed to give a complete opinion on this outcome. However, I would like to think in the future that should I become an elected member of an NUJ council, I will have been elected as a brain who happens to have breasts and not as breasts with a brain.
What other people say: