NEWS FROM THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE Informedissue 22 March 2018 Trinity Mirror’s decision to extend its digital pilot, Birmingham Live, makes it essential that the major newspaper groups answer questions about the impact their policies will have on the sector. Concerns about the threat to media plurality were raised after Newsquest’s recent takeover of the independent, family-owned CN Group, which owns two regional dailies, five weeklies and magazines. The deal could result in the UK’s local newspaper industry becoming a duopoly of Newquest and Trinity Mirror since Johnston Press’s debts make its viability appear at risk. The NUJ will be calling for the big three news groups, Newsquest, Trinity Mirror and Johnston Press, to be called to account for failing to invest in journalism Newsquest strikers at the Swindon Advertiser and presiding over the loss of hundreds of titles and thousands of journalist and photographer jobs. The union intends to involve itself in a constructive dialogue NUJ welcomes May’s which will look at new ownership models and solutions to the industry’s financial crisis, which has seen advertising review of the press hoovered up by Google and Facebook and the move to digital not replicating The union has welcomed the • The digital advertising supply chain. the revenues of print. government’s announcement of a • “Clickbait” and low-quality news. The year started with a two-day strike review of national and local press The review will make at Newsquest’s Swindon Advertiser. The will look at the sustainability of the recommendations and a final report is staff went out because of cuts, poverty sector and investigate new ownership expected in early 2019. pay and heavy workloads. models, but it will be seeking This is a victory for the union which The chapel said: “A senior reporter in assurances that the NUJ will play a has long called for a review, particularly Swindon gets £19,000-£20,000 and major role in the inquiry. during Local News Matters week last the chapel believes Swindon Advertiser The review announced by Prime year, as part of our Parliamentary reporters are now among the lowest paid Minister, Theresa May, will look at: work and in talks with ministers. The on a daily title in the UK.” • The overall health of the news media, government’s announcement was The strikers braved the rain and with a focus on the local and regional accompanied by a quote from the remnants of Storm Eleanor as they press. newspaper publishers’ organisation, the picketed outside the Advertiser • Range of news available and the News Media Association, but the NUJ office and earned huge support different business models for high- insists the voice of journalists will be from colleagues, members and local quality journalism. heard, loud and clear. politicians. • How the press is adapting to the The latest news that 49 jobs are digital market and online platforms. being lost, and more expected, by Local News Matters, page 11 Also Equal Pay Murdoch Whistle- in this Win Deal blowing issue: Page 5 Page 8 Page 10 02 Informed Michelle’s Message MARK THOMAS BBC’s sisterhood supporting in style It was the BBC’s presenting House where the director general and sisterhood, who were there in executives have held daily meetings strength to demonstrate their about the spiralling crisis. solid support for Carrie Gracie, the The day before the DCMS hearing, corporation’s former China editor, that crisis had been given new legs who was testifying to the Digital, on publication of the long-awaited Culture, Media and Sport Committee report from accountancy giant, hearing. We were both giving evidence PricewaterhouseCoopers, which was on the BBC and pay. quickly blasted by staff. Riddled with Ours was the first session up – listed the same flaws as the equal pay audit As I passed for an hour – to be followed by director done for the rest of the staff population through security general, Tony Hall, his deputy, Anne last year, it seemed more an exercise Bulford, the newly appointed head of in providing the BBC with clean hands at Westminster’s news and current affairs, Fran Unsworth, than it did an honest and transparent Portcullis House, and Sir David Clememti, chair of the reckoning of the corporation’s equal pay board. problem. This “Nothing to see here, guv” there were some Since the new year the joint unions at approach was the last thing the BBC very familiar faces the BBC have been involved in regular needed, given the massive crisis of trust meetings with the corporation to discuss among its own staff, particularly women. following me in... its review of On Air Talent – negotiating The 140 plus – and counting – women over its approach to equal pay, tax who have raised complaints through arrangements, and contracts for its on- the BBC know all too well that there is air staff and freelances who have mostly a problem. No amount of spin can hide been outside the unions’ bargaining unit that – nor can pay inequities be glossed for many years. The growing external over as “non-deliberate”. pressure on the BBC has been clearly felt So, no surprise then, to learn later in the glazed offices of New Broadcasting that BBC newsrooms were glued to the televisions when the hearing began. Just before we took our seats, the BBC’s entourage had passed by and we all exchanged hellos before they were Mark Thomas shepherded to an adjoining room to watch on a screen and await their turn. A turn that took quite some time – another two-and-a-half hours to be precise. In a frank, angry and at times emotional testimony, Carrie described how she was offered an extra £45,000, plus £100,000 back-pay, but the BBC continued to deny it was a case of pay discrimination. Carrie has been clear throughout that it wasn’t about money – it was parity she sought. BBC’s presenting sisterhood During the committee’s questioning I Informed 03 made it clear that this was not a problem confined to a number of high-earning presenters – this was a systemic issue the that ran through the corporation. Our affected members work in all grades and chapel levels of the BBC. Many have raised their concerns over a number of years – they café have been misled, lied to and in many cases forced out of their staff jobs on bar to contracts that have increased their job insecurity and meant they have missed out on benefits such as sick and maternity pay. The culture remained available for available for too much like a boys’ club where men branch private profited from promotion and more pay, events functions with the news division one of the worst culprits because of the serial misuse of and and managerial discretion. parties celebrations Instead of holding their hands up, accepting there is a problem and working with staff and unions to sort it, the BBC was adopting a bunker mentality and trying to pretend things were not as bad as they were. More transparency is discounts needed – as is a radical restructuring of for nuj pay and expenditure and a complaints system that has independent members involvement. I was also clear that gender pay inequality is not only a problem at the BBC – it is an issue across the industry, in newspapers as well as in broadcasting. At a recent meeting with the Equality and Human Rights Commission, I spoke of the spike in equal pay cases in Venue: For all booking enquiries other parts of the industry – with media The Chapel please contact: 308 Grays Inn Road T | 020 7843 3747 companies now keen to resolve cases london WC1X 8DP E | [email protected] swiftly and avoid the spotlight that the BBC is currently under. It is clear that one the- of the unintended consequences of the Journalist | 27 EHRC’s implementation of the gender pay gap regulations is that it is focusing attention on, and sparking conversations It was with great sadness that I learned of the sudden death of Simeon about, equal pay – something the Andrews – Simeon ran the consultancy operating the NUJ’s Parliamentary commission hadn’t anticipated. Group since its inception and was the key figure in bringing a number of like- As the deadline looms for companies minded unions together to forge the Trade Union Coordinating Group. to publish gender pay, it is clear many His professionalism, knowledge, and political skills, coupled with his are waiting for a busy news day to slip deep commitment to the trade union movement, made Simeon an absolute out their results unnoticed. There is a pleasure to work with and a massive asset to the NUJ’s work in parliament. journalistic job of work to ensure they Our collective condolences go to his family, particularly his partner Cathy don’t get away with it, so equal pay one and daughter Lily. day soon becomes a reality. 04 Informed News Update Five-figure sum won on unequal pay claim as chapels take action The scandal of the BBC sofa where the company, when challenged, revelations of unequal pay at the took a more positive and helpful corporation being pursued by the approach and worked to remedy the union has led to other chapels taking situation. The union has won other action and members winning pay claims, but members have requested increases. confidentiality. Elsewhere chapels A grievance submission at Newsquest are running equal pay surveys, work resulted in a female member achieving continues at the FT and RTÉ and a justice with a five-figure compensation positive meeting was held at Reuters.