NEWS FROM THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE Informedissue 29 Dec 2019 Jess Hurd Stride of pride: Samir Ahmed and supporters march to her employment tribunal. Read the inside story in Michelle’s message p4 party support for RTÉ and Fianna Fáil have a particular responsibility as it Resist RTÉ cuts is supporting the minority Fine Gael government.” “It’s your RTÉ, Save It” demands the present a realistic, strategic plan for the Dooley explained that the NUJ was NUJ’s campaign to secure the future organisation.” not looking for a hand out, merely of Ireland’s public service broadcaster. The NUJ says the slogan “It’s Your RTÉ, demanding that the Government It is the union’s response to plans Save It” (in Irish, “Leatsa é RTÉ, Sábháil honour its commitment to public unveiled in the first week in November é) will drive home the message that RTÉ service broadcasting and to the Irish to slash 18% from the broadcaster’s belongs to the people of Ireland and people. “As we enter into negotiations annual expenditure over three years. must be saved in the public interest. The with RTÉ I am conscious that even if RTÉ management proposal affects Irish Congress of Trades Unions and every unrealistic cost-reduction plan around 200 jobs, and plans to reduce general union Siptu are also floated by RTÉ management some salaries by15%. pledged to support. were implemented the Speaking at the Irish Delegate Séamus Dooley, organisation cannot be Conference in Dublin, general secretary Irish Secretary said: saved without State Michelle Stanistreet said: “RTÉ workers “There is a financial intervention.” and the Irish people have been let crisis in RTÉand RTÉ executives have down by their public representatives both An Taoiseach called this a ‘defining and by their employer. Their future is and the Minister for moment’ in the in the hands of a Government which Communications, 93-year-old broadcast has shown no willingness to support Climate Action and service’s history and public service broadcasting and an Environment must blamed the crisis on the employer who expects their staff to give leadership on this widespread refusal to pay carry the can for management failure to issue. We are seeking cross- Ireland’s tv licence. Also Elvis in Brexit Forest top in this Pictures unexplained the league issue: Page 6 Page 8 Page 11 02 Informed News Update • bespoke and masterclass support from news, journalism, public engagement New fund for public and digital experts • London-based and regional workshops interest news across the country • Support from sector and business experts. Valerie Mocker, who leads the Future News Fund, said: “Access to reliable, accurate and high-quality public interest news is a key part of a functioning society [but] at local level [provision of such news], has collapsed. The solution is not to simply put more money into existing journalism, but to completely transform the way that public interest news is created, distributed and sustained for future generations. Any organisation that has an idea to support sustainable public interest news, should visit the Nesta website and get their application in by 8 December.” General secretary, Michelle Stanistreet, is on the advisory board for Up to £100,000 grants for community £250m lottery endowment, launched the project. news initiatives will soon be available the fund as a response to the Cairncross Separately, the NEC voted to back from the Future News Fund. The fund, Review. One of its findings was that another Cairncross recommendation, established by Nesta, will be divided already disadvantaged communities had the creation of an Institute For Public into two tracks, one supporting suffered most from the decline of local Interest News, ‘modelled on the Arts projects that test new ideas for journalism. Council’. The paper adopted by the sustainable public interest news, the Projects that could be funded include: NEC noted that were the Arts Council’s other providing structured support • support to build and test a specific idea annual budget of £947m, deployed for start-up businesses generating • prototype/deployment funding to supporting news initiatives, it would public interest news. understand the potential impact of transform the media, much as Lottery Nesta, which was established with a proposed solutions funding has done the arts. of Journalists said: “We applaud Rates rise in the lowlands the courage and persistence of the Dutch freelance fees will significantly The judgment will benefit around photojournalists and the support increase as a result of a court victory. 5,000 freelances who work for regional of their union. This decision has Photographer Ruud Rogier and writer newspapers. They will also be entitled importance beyond the Dutch Britt van Uem, supported by their to claim back pay from January 2018. borders. Professional photography union NVJ, brought the case against Amsterdam-based NUJ NEC member is key for the quality and trust of the DPG Media. Tony Sheldon told the council that van press, but without fair remuneration The freelances argued that the rates Uem’s testimony in court had been photojournalists cannot survive.” they were paid (€42 per photo and particularly moving. “She sobbed that The rates set by the court represent €0.13 per word).were not consistent she would not work for a newspaper that an absolute minimum rather than a with the Netherlands’ Authors Rights thought paying journalists €15 an hour reasonable advisory rate for the entire Law. Amsterdam’s District Court was fair.” market, but there has definitely been a agreed, and ordered that rates should Mogens Blicher Bjerregård, breakthrough in the market for regional rise to €65 a photo and €0.21 a word. president of the European Federation and local titles in particular. Informed 03 Raise subs to save JPI bid risk the union from going The owner of The Scotsman and The Yorkshire Post should be willing to invest in journalism the NUJ’s annual income would today rather than pursuing aggressive be £6.7million. Static rates have been cost cutting, says the NUJ. exacerbated by a decline in paying Commenting on reports that membership of 21.8 % over the last ten Newsquest is the lead bidder for the years from 28,170 to 22,027. company, general secretary Michelle A further financial challenge comes Stanistreet said: “In Newsquest from the union’s historic pension takeovers, our members have scheme commitments, and a change typically suffered heavy job losses and in approach from the UK Pension their pay and conditions have been Regulator. These are expected to result affected, so we have understandable in the annual cost of this rising from concerns about the future owner of £210,000 to £360,000 next year. JPI Media”. The increase for which the NEC “That is why we are calling on all will argue would increase rates to the interested bidders as a minimum to following monthly rates in 2020: Grade 1 declare a moratorium of at least two £17 (€20.50), Grade 2 £20.50 (€26.50), years on compulsory jobs losses, Six years without a subs increase has and Grade 3 £29 (€35.60) and a further the honouring of all existing terms left the NUJ dangerously vulnerable, increase in 2021 to Grade 1 £18.70 and conditions and maintenance warns a paper adopted by the (€22.50), Grade 2 £22.50 (€31.90), and of effective collective bargaining National Executive. The NEC set a Grade 3 £32 (€30.20.) arrangements.” balanced budget at its November Members earning less than £14,500 Stanistreet offered to sit down and meeting, but called on branches to (€16,000) per annum would pay £12 talk to any new owner about their support a motion to April 2020’s (€12.60) a month in 2020. Members plans to stabilise and grow the papers Delegate Meeting that would increase earning less than £16,000 (€17,500) per for the benefit of their communities. subscriptions in two stages. annum would pay £13 (€13.80) a month. “Most of the NUJ’s running costs Speaking in support of the subs are met by members’ subscriptions,” rise, the chair of the union’s finance says Honorary General Treasurer John committee, Professor Chris Frost Barsby. “We have reduced staff from praised all that the NUJ had achieved in a peak of about 55, to 33 today and recent years. “Despite uncomfortable significantly increased the income we belt-tightening, this has been a receive by commercially letting unused period of real achievement for the parts of Headland House. Without a rise us. We have achieved recognition journalism making a priority of such in subs, however, the prospect of a forced in major, established publishers work. merger will become very real. such as SpringerNature, as well as Since the last Delegate Meeting “Our sister union Bectu disappeared digital employers like Vice. We have recruitment has been a priority for into a larger union a couple of years ago,” consistently taken up the equal pay the NUJ. More than 2,500 journalists he says. fight, and with some outstanding have joined during that period as well “I have spent 50 years fighting for the successes. And as well as defending as around 400 students. New chapels NUJ, and I won’t stand by now and watch scores of individual freelances, we have been a recruitment priority, as that fate befall our union.” have successfully spearheaded have freelances who were the focus of a Subscriptions last rose in 2014 and statutory change in Ireland so that recruitment film shared on social media. today the union’s annual income is the organisation of atypical workers is The numbers leaving the union have £4.73million. A paper adopted by the lawful.” also fallen – however the monthly NEC notes that had rates kept pace Frost went on to say that he could not lapsing rate is 18% lower than it was with inflation over the past decade, imagine a union whose focus was not four years ago.