30 October 2005

New courses

Head office is running two new courses next month

* Freedom of Information Act on Monday 21 November.

* Introduction to Sub Editing on Thursday/Friday 24/25 November 2005. Both courses are held at the NUJ Head Office, Headland House, 308-312 Grays Inn Road, Londo.

Courses will start at 10.00am and finish between 4.30pm-5.00pm. The cost of the courses are as follows; the Freedom of Information Act is £65; introduction to subediting £205.

http://www.nujtraining.org.uk/page.phtml?id=1755&category=outline&finds=0&string=&strand=

17 October 2005

AGM venue

Just a quick reminder not to forget tomorrow's Annual General Meeting in the back bar of the Shakespeare's Head, Chatham Place, Brighton at 7pm. Click on the headline if you're not quite sure of the geography. The pub is at the junction of Chatham Place and Old Shoreham Road.

15 October 2005

Annual accounts report

The branch receives 5% of members’ subscriptions to fund running costs and activities. So if you work for the Argus, say, and pay subs of about £140 a year, then £7 will come back to the branch during the course of a year. Due to fluctuating numbers of members from one quarter to the next we get different amounts paid into our bank account each quarter. This year we received £1,404.75

In a nutshell, we started the year (Oct 1, 2004) with £1,265.10 in the bank, received £1,404.75 from head office and spent £1,133.50. That left us, on October 1, 2005 with £1,536.35 – a healthy position and the most we have had in our account since the branch was re-formed in 1998. With about 250 members, the branch has expanded hugely – we had fewer than 100 members back when we re-established.

We have been able to keep running costs at a reasonable level due to the fact that we don’t pay for room hire for monthly meetings. And the decision of members – currently about 75 – to receive newsletters via email also helps. This has allowed us in the last 12 months to make a series of donations to various causes, detailed below. More info on these causes is available from the branch website www.nujbrighton.org.uk

INCOME

Four payments from NUJ - £1,404.75

EXPENDITURE

BRANCH RUNNING COSTS
A Colley - £20
Jemima Kiss £8.49, £20.45 (photocopying) = £28.94
Stamps £315
Cost of website £6.09

Total = £370.03

BRANCH AFFILIATIONS AND SUBSCRIPTIONS
Trade Union Friends of Searchlight affiliation £50
Manchester NUJ fighting fund on behalf of Mansoor Hassan, facing deportation to Pakistan - £25
Justice for Colombia donation - £25
Donation to appeal for cash to help re-establish Indonesian newspaper after Asian tsunami - £75
Justice For Colombia reaffiliation fee - £50
Working Class Movement Library donation - £50
Subscription to UK-based paper The Zimbabwean - £42
Donation to Grenada 17 appeal costs - £50
Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom subs 2004/05 £25
Donation to Coventry NUJ fighting fund for striking workers - £50

Total = £442

BRANCH ENTERTAINMENTS
June barbecue costs – J Kiss £62.27 (food), A Colley £44 (booze). Total = £106.27
Christmas party booze bill - £215.20 – cheque to A Colley who paid bill on his debit card.

Total = £321.47

Branch total expenditure for period October 1, 2004 to September 30, 2005 = £1,133.50

A Colley, treasurer

13 October 2005

Are you disabled?

The Disabled Members Council is looking for disabled members to register as such so that it can draw up more effective policies and campaigns on their behalf.

It is looking at a new disability policy covering matters such as employment issues and support and access to the Annual Delegate Meeting.

In the past it has launched the Hacked Off campaign to fight the use of unacceptable terminology in news and features relating to disabled people. The 10-strong council works in and outside the union on matters relating to improving opportunities for disabled members in the industry and on offering greater access to union services.

It is aware some members are worried about registering as a disabled member. Any member can register in confidence at membership@nuj.org.uk or contact DMC's chair Stephen Brookes MBE at stbmbe@aol.com or union official Lena Calvert at lenac@nuj.org.uk

12 October 2005

Unions in Iraq

We've just affiliated to this - click on the headline to access the UK unions' website.

09 October 2005

Anti-war meeting

From branch member Cath Senker:

Thursday October 20, 7.30pm at St Joseph's Church, Milton Road, Brighton IRAQ - invaded & occupied, what happens next?

A talk and discussion with Milan Rai, author and anti-war activist, looking at the following questions:

* Is immediate withdrawal of US & UK occupation forces the answer?
* Will withdrawal make the situation worse for the Iraqi people?
* Can the damage done to Iraq be limited? Is thre a responsible exit strategy?
* Should the UN be involved?

For more details see website http://www.blogger.com/www.watchingthewarmakers.org.uk For more info on Milan Rai see http://www.blogger.com/www.j-n-v.org