June meeting - Tony Benn confirmed to speak in August

Minutes

Present:
Fraser Addecott, David Blackman, Gordon Scott, Rowan Dore, Jon Kendrick, Bipinchandra Mistry, Adrian Colley.

Apologies:
Barbara Wiseman, Chris Baker.

1 Minutes
Bi Mistry said he did not get the June newsletter via email and supplied an up-to-date email address.

Adrian Colley pointed out that the discussion in May on who to invite to speak would be progressed by someone actually coming forward to take on the responsibility of organising speakers and events. He said most of the branch admin was run by one person, himself, and that he did not have time to take on this role. When the branch was first set up he had shared this role with Peter Baker and the role worked well. And while it was fair enough having ideas about who to invite, it was a waste of time if nobody was prepared to take it a step further.

He said money was available to pay for speakers' expenses. After further discussion Bip Mistry and Fraser Addecott agreed to fill the role.

2 New members
Five new members were admitted.

3 Officers' reports
Correspondence:

a) A Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom openmeeting on 23 June was publicised: 'Biased news – do we want it here?'

b) CPBF literature on the BBC World Service sacking of NUJ activists was handed out.

c) A circular from Deputy General Secretary election candidate Chris Youett was circulated.

d) Members signed a petition from London freelance branch asking the government to stop the deportation to Kosovo of NUJ member Besim Gerguir and his wife Luljeta.

e) Sussex Action for Peace's hosting of George Galloway at a meeting last month was publicised, topic: 'War, propaganda, lies and dissent'.

f) Circulars handed out on TUC migrant workers' rights conference and a 'Save Our Party' socialist conference.

Treasurer Adrian Colley said we had £1,018.92 in the bank.

4 Chapel reports
Argus FoC Fraser Addecott said that at a recent Newsquest chapel meeting in Manchester that the NUJ nationally were looking to take on an organiser purely to deal with Newsquest titles. Newsquest's pay rise for the year was 2% throughout the country and there will be a national campaign next year on pay at Newsquest titles.

5 Any other business
Tony Benn: Fraser Addecott said Tony Benn had agreed to speak to the branch at 4.30pm in Brighton on 6 August, prior to another engagement in the city. He said the timing would allow for a speech and for him to take questions and answers from members. He said he hoped Brighton and Mid Sussex members would make a special effort to attend, despite the mid-afternoon start.

He said he would like to contact all members to gauge the possible turnout we could expect and said he would investigate the possibility of staging it at the Arts Club.

Rowan Dore suggested that members' partners and other trade unions like the firefighters, Unison and GMB be invited to attend.

A brief history of NUJ Brighton

Brighton & Mid-Sussex Branch was revived early in 1998 after a period of years during which it had been dormant. NUJ members in the area reactivated the branch because they wanted a forum which would provide them with support locally and where they could exchange information and ideas.

The branch has held well attended monthly meetings with a range of speakers including former Fleet Street editor and broadcaster Derek Jameson, cartoonist Steve Bell and Journalist of the Year Nick Davies.

The branch currently has more than 220 members, ranging in experience from students through to life members who have been in the NUJ for decades. All the skills encompassed by the NUJ are represented, including: illustrators; photographers; writers and production editors for books, and for trade and consumer press; radio and TV broadcasters; public relations officers; and workers in new media. The majority of members are freelance (check out our Directory), although the largest NUJ chapel in the area is at the main local paper, the Argus.