Get yourself trained

Ever fancied getting more involved in your union? For those who are new lay reps or have ever thought about becoming one, the NUJ's trade union training programme includes three essential introductory courses as well as sessions on bullying and harassment, health and safety, organising for recruitment and public speaking for trade unionists.

These fully accredited courses are free and have been designed to meet the specific needs of NUJ members. All reasonable travel and accommodation costs are met by the union.

To see the course outlines and calendar visit www.nujtraining.org.uk and look under trade union training in the courses section or email deirdreh@nuj.org.uk telephone 020 7843 3730.

As well as our trade union training courses the union runs a full programme of professional training. See www.nujtraining.org.uk

Urgent Action: Help save the life of brave journalist

Colombian journalist Fredy Munoz Alatamiranda has been arrested by Colombia's notorious secret police after participating in a workshop organised by one of the BBC's US correspondents.

Friends believe his arrest on the grounds of “rebellion” is a result of his recent TV reports on forced displacement in Colombia and links between the government, army and paramilitaries.
This detention follows a pattern of persecution against independent journalists exercising their right to freedom of expression. Colombia is one of the most dangerous countries in the world in which to be a journalist. Few are brave enough to speak out - Fredy Munoz was.

Now he needs us to speak out for him. For further background information and a direct appeal from Fredy Munoz see www.nuj.org.uk/inner.php?docid=1541

Please write letters/emails to the Colombian Ambassador requesting the Colombian government to:
Respect the life and physical and psychological integrity of Fredy Munoz Altamiranda
Respect due process and the right to defence.
Respect the right to freedom of expression.
Send protests to: mail@colombianembassy.co.uk and please copy letters to: info@justiceforcolombia.org

For further information see www.justiceforcolombia.org

Women In Media events

Women In Media - Breakfast Networking and Workshop
Date: Tuesday 28 November 2006
Time: 8.30am - 10am
Place: Walkers Bar, 48 Robertson St, Hastings. Tel: 01424 200230
Cost: £3.50 breakfast only.

At this workshop experienced trainer Hilary Kelsh will be discussing the art of negotiation and how it arises in many areas of our personal and working lives. Be it winning business or planning projects, salary, hours and workload, the ever present politics of promotion, hiring, firing or encouraging teamwork, negotiation is everywhere!

Women In Media Training - Pitching for Digital Media Business
Date: Tuesday 28 November 2006
Time: 10am- 1pm
Place: Hastings Creative Media Centre
Cost: £12.50, including lunch Register

A tough market and increasingly demanding clients can make winning new business a difficult and time consuming process. This half day business training seminar is designed to help local firms, freelancers and sole traders improve their chances of impressing decision makers, avoid common pitching pitfalls and promote their business services more effectively.

Special Deal - Attend both these events AND get lunch and breakfast for only £14!

For more information visit www.womeninmedia.co.uk/events/0611/training.asp, or call 01273 692 888 or email women@wiredsussex.com.

BBC No To Ads campaign

BBC union members are campaigning against plans to place adverts on the BBC News website. The plan to begin placing ads on the international-facing section of the website will lead to the increasing commercialisation of the website, renowned around the world for its independence from commercial concerns. Staff at the website, including many prominent correspondents have presented BBC managers with a petition and lobbied the Director General. The Board of Governors is to take a final decision on the issue shortly. Help back the campaign against creeping commercialisation.
Contact your MP and urge them to sign EDM 226 calling for the axing of plans to place advertisements on the BBC News website. Visit http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/Search.aspx to read the full text of the EDM. Use the link below to send an email to your MP http://www.writetothem.com/
For a full briefing on all the issues see http://www.nuj.org.uk/inner.php?docid=1534

NUJ staffing changes announced

It's all change at the NUJ as some staff leave, others are promoted and another new post is created. Congratulations to all those who have been appointed to their new posts.
If you work in magazines, books or PR in England or Wales your new National Organiser is Sue Harris - who can be contacted on 020 7843 3714.
In the coming weeks Jenny Lennox is to take up the new role of Assistant Organiser (North of England) - she can be contacted in the Manchester Office on 0161 237 5020 or at nujmanchester@nuj.org.uk and Lawrence Shaw is to take up the role of Assistant Organiser (New Media and Wales)
There are currently 3 vacancies to work for the NUJ. Details are below:
Regional Organiser (North England)
Assistant Organiser (Broadcasting)
Assistant Organiser (Magazines, Books and PR) Fixed term 9 month contract
For information on these roles visit http://www.nuj.org.uk/inner.php?docid=1540
Alternatively email info@nuj.org.uk for an application pack.

Latin America 2006

Conference in London organised by Cuba Solidarity Campaign, Justice for Colombia, T&G Latin American Workers Association and Venezuela Information Centre, on Saturday December 2.

Speakers include playwright Harold Pinter, Jeremy Corbyn MP, Frances O'Grady, deputy gen sec of TUC, Tariq Ali and Wayne Smith, former head of US interests section in Havana.

Register by credit card on 0207 263 6452 for a tenner. Event is at Congress House, Great Russell Street, London WC1.

Last chance for ADM motions

Wednesday's meeting at the Nelson in Trafalgar Street, Brighton, is the last chance for the branch to put forward motions for consideration at next year's annual delegate meeting in Birmingham.

So if you have a burning issue that you want to see debated make sure you make the meeting.

National Pensioners Convention

The NUJ can send up to three delegates to this shindig in Nottingham in June and the branch can nominate you.

If you want to be part of the delegation we can put your name forward and the union's policy committee will consider all nominations and elect the NUJ trio.

The convenion is the foremost campaigning organisation speaking out with the support of the trade union movement speaking out on pensioners and their rights. More at www.npcuk.org or click on the headline

World Poverty action

The NUJ is holding and International Development and Poverty Reduction training weekend next month at Stoke House, near Oxford:

I am John Fray, Deputy General Secretary of the NUJ, and I am writing to you as an NUJ member to invite you to apply for a place on the training session 'International Development and Poverty Reduction'.

This course is designed for the NUJ general membership, lay and professional officers. The training forms part of an NUJ project to raise awareness among members and journalists at large on issues of international development.

The aims of the training are to:

• Explore the concepts of international development and its relationship to the concept of globalisation
• Identify the relevance for us as journalists and trade unionists
• Build understanding of the significance of the Millennium Development Goals
• Share ideas on what we can do to international development as the means by which poverty can be reduced.
• Look at the role of the media in the fight against world poverty.

I hope that you are as keen as I am to play a role in the struggle to make poverty history and I hope that our programme will play a role in helping you to do so.

The course runs from 5pm on Friday December 1 to lunchtime on Sunday December 3. Meals, light refreshment and accommodation will be supplied for the duration of the course but places are limited so if you wish to participate, please register with David Ayrton (davida@nuj.org.uk)

2005/06 accounts

The branch receives 5% of members’ subscriptions to fund running costs and activities. 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 £1,821.40 and spent £1,166.15.

Not far off half of our expenditure was spent on two social events – the summer barbecue on the beach in Hove in June and the Christmas do at the Cricketers pub in central Brighton.
Both were well attended.

In a nutshell, we started the year (Oct 1, 2005) with £1,536.35 in the bank. That left us, on October 1, 2006 with £2,191.60 – a healthy position and the most we have had in our account since the branch was re-formed in 1998.

The main reason for the increase in amount we have is that several meetings have been cancelled this year due to holidays and a lack of people to run the branch and therefore run meetings. So, fewer monthly newsletters were required and this has saved us money. While we are in a very good financial position, with no one to coming forward to run the branch we are paradoxically close to folding.

INCOME

• Four quarterly payments from NUJ - £1,678.90
• Cheque from V Bridgewater for £77.50 towards cost of ADM accommodation.
• Sundry payment into account - £65

Total - £1,821.40

EXPENDITURE

Branch running costs

• Stamps £324
• Cost of wreath bought for Rowan Dore’s funeral - £45
• Cost of sending an observer (V Bridgewater) to Annual Delegate Meeting £277.50.
  

Total = £646.50

Affiliations and subscriptions

• Trade Union Friends of Searchlight affiliation - £50
• Iraq Union solidarity - £5
• Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom subs 2005/06 - £25

Total = £80

Entertainments

• June barbecue costs £140 – cheque paid to A Colley who bought food and drink
• Christmas party booze bill - £299.65 – cheque to A Colley who paid bill on his debit card.

Total = £439.65

Branch total expenditure for period October 1, 2005 to September 30, 2006 = £1,166.15

A Colley, treasurer

BBC Pensions Campaign

The BBC Broken Promises campaign launches on 1st November. The BBC joint unions are fighting planned changes which will create a two-tier pension scheme with new starters receiving a vastly inferior package. Leaflets have been produced and volunteers are needed to distribute them. If you would like to volunteer please email fightforourbbc@nuj.org.uk or speak to your NUJ rep. For more information visit www.nuj.org.uk/inner.php?docid=1322.

Sean Madden

Independent Writer-Journalist

UK-based American writer-journalist. I write on philosophy, politics/society, and literature. I hold two US master's degrees --in Western and Eastern thought, with an emphasis on philosophy, political and social thought, and classics - and a BBA in Finance. I am a former entrepreneur, strategy management consultant, and senior financial and marketing analyst.

Weblog: iNoodle.com Email: sean@inoodle.com
Tel (UK): 01435 873500
Tel (Int'l): +44 1435 873500

Amanda Wilkins

Amanda Wilkins
Freelance photo-journalist/theatre critic. Specialises in Celebrity Interviews. Seven years District Chief Reporter for Beckett Newspapers.

Freelance commissions include The Tatler, Saga Magazine, My Weekly, Commercial Motor, The Best of British. Author of four non-fiction books including 80 Days At Sea - the True Story of a World Cruise. Can supply digital photos on CD or by email. Will travel anywhere at home or abroad.

Top Flat, 30 South Road, Newhaven BN9 9QJ
07832 265459. email: amanda.wilko@virgin.net

Sussex Action for Peace

Latest message from them - a public meeting tomorrow:

What is the British interest in Afghanistan?
31,000 troops remain 5 years after conflict started- Opium production at all time record levels- Fiercest engagements for 5,200 British soldiers since WWII

Speaker- Chris Nineham (Stop the War)

7.30pm Thursday 2 November
Circus Circus Function Rm
opp. Duke of York cinema, Preston Circus, London Rd, Brighton