Barbara Wiseman - 'What a woman'

About 50 people attended the cremation of Barbara Wiseman earlier today in Brighton.

Family and friends came from afar to pay their last respects and swap stories about a singular stalwart of the British Communist Party. For those who don't know, for most of her life Barbara was a leading light in this country's Communist party.

The 45-minute tribute at the Downs Crematorium was almost a social history of UK communism as several speakers remembered Barbara, who died on August 16 at the age of 96. They gave a snapshot of a different era and also provided ample evidence of Barbara's burning passion, unswerving commitment and energy, which despite the encumbrances of age were evident whenever she came along to NUJ meetings.

Always a clear, precise and eloquent speaker, Barbara's NUJ contributions were built upon a career of activism. Speakers recalled events from 60 years - one comrade remembered cycling
to Croydon with Barbara in the 1950s armed with a podium and a loudhailer. She sold the Daily Worker while Barbara used the loudhailer to spread the message. This, in the days when a communist meeting in Kingston could attract an attendance of 1,000. Another friend told the gathering - "I used to tell a friend the stories about her and though she'd never met Barbara, she commented 'What a woman'.

Others paid tribute to Barbara's ability to motivate, advise and listen. Age hardly seemed to wither her. Ten years ago, she travelled to an international communist convention in Cuba - she was one of the branch's first speakers back in 1998 when she recounted her experiences from this trip to the Caribbean.

Even at the age of 95 her strength was undimmed. Eighteen months ago, Barbara travelled to Kenya and then to Australia and New Zealand. Only two years ago, we were told, her failing eyesight meant she could not write, so she dictated the first 50,000 words of a novel to a friend!

To end, many of her former colleagues trooped out of the Crematorium with their right fists raised as the communists' anthem - The Internationale - was played on the PA.

Barbara would have enjoyed that!

Support for asylum seeker member

Mansoor Hassan, an NUJ member, is under threat deportation even though he and his family would be at serious risk after he exposed Pakistani politicians involved in honour killings.
Please support him by signing a petition to urge the Home Secretary to allow him to remain. Click on the title to sign.

STAND UP FOR JOURNALISM SPECIAL

On November 5th, NUJ members across all sectors and regions will take part in a day of action in defence of quality and standards in media, against job cuts and for fair pay and decent pensions. The NUJ is urging EVERY member, chapel and branch to get involved. For more ideas and resources visit www.standupforjournalism.org.uk.

Online petition
Please sign the petition and urge non-members to do the same. It is our chance to send a loud and clear message to all media owners about the importance we as professionals attach to having the necessary resources - staff, terms and conditions, budgets - to enable us to produce quality media.
Click here to sign: www.ipetitions.com/petition/standupforjournalism

Discuss your sector issues online
A Stand Up for Journalism discussion board has been set up for members to debate the issues which are affecting them. You can share ideas and inspiration for the day and debate ways to protect journalism for the future.
Join the board at www.standupforjournalism.org.uk

Contact your MP
Email your MP here and ask them to sign Early Day Motion 1994. Check if your MP has signed by visiting http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=33860&SESSION=885.
There are also postcards available to send to your MP. These can be requested from campaigns@nuj.org.uk

The fight for pensions continues

In recent months union members have fought key campaigns to protect their pension schemes. Yet despite the union's campaigning work company after company is looking to save money by shifting the burden for paying for pensions on to staff, closing down schemes and replacing them with inferior ones or significantly reducing benefits.

As part of a renewed campaign to defend occupational pensions and to expose the current state of pension provision in the industry in the run up to the union-wide day of action on 5 November (Stand Up for Journalism) the NUJ has launched a new survey.

Please take a few minutes to fill it in - the results will help inform the union's workplace pensions campaigning over the coming months. Click on the title link to take the survey.

Reuters/Thompson merger

Is your MP one of the 28 who has signed up to the NUJ Parliamentary Group's Early Day Motion (EDM) on the Reuters/Thompson merger? You can find out at http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=33770&SESSION=885.
The EDM calls on the merged company to honour its commitments to the pension schemes and to maintain the integrity and independence of the company's news output.
Email your MP to sign up to EDM 1912 at www.writetothem.com.