October-fest Branch meeting: Nancy Platts and Chris Wheal

It’s branch meeting time again – and have we got a stellar line-up for you this month!

Star of the show is suffragette and trade union activist Clementina Black – friend of Eleanor Marx and the first person to move a resolution at the TUC calling for equal gender pay. Sadly, Clementina can’t be there in person owing to the unfortunate fact she died in 1922. But her memory will be honoured by Brighton & Hove City councillor Nancy Platts, who is spearheading a campaign to have a blue plaque put up outside the house in Ship Street where she was born. A small NUJ contribution towards the cost will be proposed.

Also on the bill, and very much alive, is Chris Wheal – a driving force behind the union’s charity, NUJ Active. Chris has some incredible stories to tell of fellow journalists who have fallen on hard times, and how they have then been helped by NUJ Active. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry and – if Chris is on his usual form – you’ll willingly put your hand in your pocket when he’s finished.

There are some branch affairs to attend to as well, not least giving some thought to our Christmas social and how we can best take the show on the road to places such as Worthing, Eastbourne and Lewes. But once that’s done we can get down to the serious business of gossiping, networking and making new friends.

So, make a note in your diary now. The branch meeting is on Thursday, October 25. As usual, the idea is to gather at the Craft Beer Co pub in Upper North Street, Brighton, from 7pm, with the meeting itself starting at 7.30. And parents may be interested to note that, following our last get-together, we are now able to offer a contribution of up to £30 towards childcare costs for those who wouldn’t have been able to get there otherwise.

If you can’t make it to the meeting, but would like to know more, drop us a line. And don’t forget that branch officers are able to help, advise and represent you where there is no chapel official to do so (which, sadly, is just about the case everywhere in the branch at present).

We hope to see you on Thursday, October 25.

Best wishes

Brian Williams (on behalf of the branch committee)

http://www.thecraftbeerco.com/brighton/

Tomorrow's meeting: AGM and Wetherspoons strike

Wetherspoons' staff in Brighton are planning to go on strike. Find out why, when and how we can support them from their union reps at this week's NUJ branch meeting.

https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/16610332.brighton-wetherspoons-staff-threaten-strike-action-over-poverty-wages/

You'll also get the chance to meet Richard Palmer, the man who represents this area on the union’s NEC. He wants to know what the NUJ can do for you.

This will be our annual general meeting – at which the branch officers for the coming year will be elected. Posts up for election include Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Treasurer. We also need an enthusiastic and energetic committee. If you’re interested in taking a more active role, or simply want to know more, contact acting branch secretary Brian Williams using this email address.

The meeting is on Thursday 27 September in the Craft Beer Company pub (22-23 Upper North Street, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 3FG), starting at 7pm. And if you've never been to a branch meeting before, don't worry. We like to keep it all as informal as possible and are much keener on making new friends than passing tedious motions. It would be great to see you there!

Draft agenda

1. Attendance sheet
2. Introduce guests (Richard Palmer and Wetherspoons striker)
3. Wetherspoons speaker
4. Minutes of last meeting
5. Matters arising not covered elsewhere in the agenda
6. Motion: The branch agrees that this meeting shall be the AGM for 2018
7. Election of officers
8. Election of new members
9. Richard Palmer Q&A
10. Motion by BW: This branch agrees to cover the childcare costs of members attending properly constituted meetings organised by us up to a maximum of £20
11. Ideas about promoting the branch
12. Correspondence
13. Chapel reports
14. Next meeting(s) date and location
15. AOB

Next meeting: Wednesday, 27 July at 7 for 7.30pm, Craft Beer Company - guest speaker Umit Ozturk

Next meeting: guest speaker Umit Ozturk

Wednesday, 27 July at 7 for 7.30pm, Craft Beer Company, Upper North Street, Brighton
thecraftbeerco.com/pubs/brighton/

“Turkey: The biggest prison for journalists in the world”- Can Dundar, who was released from prison recently:

Umit Ozturk will talk about the threats against freedom of press in Turkey with examples on censorship, restrictions and bans on media as well as practices of intimidation, prosecution, imprisonment and attacks against journalists and media activists.

Umit Ozturk is a qualified journalist and linguist from Turkey who has lived in the UK since 1992. He has worked as a human rights reporter, editor, broadcaster, book trader and publisher, media analyst and trainer, with expertise on freedom of press, social media and cyber rights and liberties.

He was actively involved in press freedom organisations including Amnesty International Journalists Network as their chair (1998-2010) and a co-founder and co-director of the first UK chapter of Reporters sans Frontieres (2003-2004), as a consultant for Writers in Prison Committee of International PEN (1997-2006), and a contributor to Index on Censorship (1995-2004). He was awarded several media prizes throughout 1990s.

Umit is the founder and current coordinator of the Brighton-based community support charity Euro-Mediterranean Resources Network (2001 - ). He is also a poet, community radio producer, playwright, community cook, and a stand-up performer.

As this is likely to be a popular meeting please RSVP via http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2583656

All Welcome!

Agenda 

1. Welcome and apologies
2. Election of new members
3. Treasurer's report
4. Trades Council report
5. Summer Party date and venue
6. Guests for future meetings
7. AOB

Next meeting: 12 January at 7.30 at the Craft Beer Company

Next meeting

Tuesday 12 January at 7.30 at the Craft Beer Company, Upper North Street, Brighton

thecraftbeerco.com/pubs/brighton/

1. Welcome and apologies
2. Reports, inc treasurer's, trades council
3. Strikes and demonstrations, inc junior doctors, march against cuts
4. DM motions and amendments
(NB copies of preliminary agenda will be available at the meeting, and members can also access it online here: https://www.nuj.org.uk/documents/nuj-dm-2016-preliminary-agenda/nuj-dm-preliminary-agenda-2016.pdf)

5. Election of DM delegates
6. Future meetings and events, inc branch AGM
7. AOB

All welcome.