London Magazine Branch October 2000

 

Time for our own blockade? The government's Fairness at Work legislation has been taken to heart by some unexpected allies. Employers have suddenly started saying they couldn't possibly ask their staff to consider crossing a picket line - and inviting the pickets in for tea and biscuits. Police have suddenly developed a deep respect for the democratic rights of unofficial secondary pickets. And New Labour has suddenly developed an overwhelming urge to invite trade union leaders in to Number 10. Regrettably, NUJ members are still unlikely to be able to force our own bosses to back down armed with nothing more than a couple of traffic cones and a tatty deckchair. Older NUJ members who remember Wapping and the Miners Strike might be forgiven for wishing some truckers could have got out of their cabs and stood at the gates a few years earlier. More positively, though, this adoption of Gallic combativity was long overdue. The only disappointment has been that it was not unions calling for blockades until the misnamed Freedom of Information bill was abolished, the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act scrapped and all the anti-trade union laws repealed. But we can take some inspiration from the blockades - particularly those on the Continent - because they show that standing up and fighting back has a lot more effect than hiding under our desks and just hoping that things will magically get better. One tactic we might consider is the "mass individual complaint". Now that every worker has the right to be accompanied by a union rep to a grievance hearing - whether unions are recognised at that company or not - we can issue multiple grievances over the same issue. If employers are faced with having to go to dozens of meetings to hear the same complaint over and over again, they might just see the sense in negotiating directly with the NUJ. For years publishers have been telling us that resistance is futile and that when they say "Jump", we can only ask, "How high?" The fuel blockades should be a warning to our employers: start negotiating seriously or risk the sharp end of a traffic cone.   Blockade the boss: Any worker can now be accompanied to a grievance meeting by a union rep, so perhaps we should consider all taking out individual grievances and see how long it takes our companies to negotiate directly with the NUJŠ.   What's your job worth? We have started our annual pay survey of the London magazine sector. Last year's survey threw up some very interesting findings, so please complete the short questionnaire. Either print it out and post or fax it back or email us. Better still, photocopy it and distribute them to workmates. We will probably compile the results in time for the November issue. Pay survey questionnaire   Conferences The Media After Lawrence conference 21 October The Tabernacle, Powis Square, London W1 SPEAKERS INCLUDE: Doreen Lawrence Simon Israel of Channel 4 Gary Younge of the Guardian Gurbux Singh chair of the CRE Professor Bikhu Parekh chair of the Commission on the Future of Multi-ethnic Britain The conference will include panel discussions, open forums and end with a plenary discussion of the Charter for Equality which, if adopted, will inform the NUJ¹s policy on fighting racism. The conference is sonsored by the NUJ and the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom. The branch committee is already aware of several members who intend going but we believe the branch should demonstrate how importantly we take this issue by sponsoring delegates. If you want to go, please come to the branch meeting and vote for the sponsorship motion. You will be saving yourself a little money (£5 for individuals, £25 for branch delegates) but more importantly, you will committing the branch to take an active role. To register, contact Kyran Connolly on 020 7843 3713 or bmc@nuj.org.uk       Online journalism conference Making a stand in cyberspace 14 October TUC Congress House, Great Russell St WC1 SPEAKERS: Nigel Clarke FoC at ft.com Jeremy Dear NUJ national organiser Brian Trench Dublin City University Paul Eedle Outtherenews The one-day conference, NUJ Online, will look at how best to recruit and organise online journalists. Topics will include pay and conditions, copyright, editorial best practice, skills and training and where to get them, and organising and campaigning. Travel expenses will be paid by the union. To register, contact Don Mackglew at donm@nuj.org.uk

In this issue Pay survey Conference:              The media after              Stephen Lawrence Conference:             Online journalism Recognition Branch meeting              agenda   'Recognise the error of your ways'   Branch delegates to the NUJ's Recognition 2000 conference on 16 September came away determined to catch up with the excellent progress being made in in local and national newspapers. Only a couple of companies where union recognition claims have been made have so far refused to even hold a voluntary ballot of employees. Although one of the biggest recognition deals will be with Reed Business Information (after we win the ballot), the magazine sector has lagged behind a little. Linda Rogers, national organiser for the magazine sector, made the point that in London huge staff turnover has tended to work against NUJ organisation. Journalists here have frequently reacted to bad pay and conditions by moving rather than staying and fighting to improve them. The buoyant labour market is teaching some employers that pay at least has to be raised, and we should pile on the pressure to gain "official" bargaining rights as well.     Guest speaker   NUJ president Dave Toomer is our guest speaker this month. Dave was sacked for organising a chapel at the Bolton Evening News nearly two years ago. Now the company is close to signing an agreement to recognise the NUJ - proof that the tide is turning against macho management.     A tale of two conferences   As in previous years, the NUJ supported a lobby of the Labour Party's annual conference to demand union rights. But as our branch meeting last month was not quorate, we could not vote to send the branch banner along. Several members did go along, though, and had an enjoyable day in Brighton at what was billed as the Counter Conference. Away from the heavily fortified Millbank-on-sea gathering, trade unionists were actively welcomed and corporate dynasts distinctly unwelcome. The Counter Conference was so successful that an overflow hall had to be booked and speakers had to shuttle between buildings. Sessions ranged from workers' rights in Britain to globalisation, and fighting racism to the environment. The demonstration past the Labour conference was vastly bigger than the farmers' convoy - but curiously got much less media coverage.   Return to top