More NUJ courses

More NUJ courses are being run in London over the next six months. Details and prices (for members) as below. Click on the headline to link for more details!

Thur/Fri Sept 22/23 Intro sub-editing £205

Mon Sept 26 Improving yourJournalistic Skills for Freelances & others £65

Sat Oct 1 Getting started as a freelance £55

Fri Oct 7 Pitch & Deal £65

Sat/Sun Oct 22/23 Photoshop £205

Sat/Sun Oct 22/23 Intro Online Publishing £205

Sat/Sun Oct 29/30 Intro Sub Editing £205

Sat Nov 12 Improving your journalistic skills £65

Sat/Sun Nov 12/13 Intro Quark £205

Thur Nov 17 Getting starte as a Freelance £55

Fri Nov 18 Pitch & Deal £65

Latest news from Justice for Colombia

Local Agricultural Workers Union Activist Assassinated in Colombia

A paramilitary death squad has assassinated peasant organiser Jose Maria Maldonado in the Loma Arena area of the municipality of Pondera in Atlantico department. According to witnesses two men on a motorbike approached Mr Maldonado and shot him dead on the morning of May 17th.

For a long period a paramilitary death squad has been operating in the municipality of Ponedera where they have carried out a systematic campaign of assassinations against local union organisers. Local people say that the paramilitary unit acts under the orders of local landowners and that they use terror to force people from their land allowing the landowners to take over their property. Recently the legal officer of the agricultural workers union, Seferino Padilla, was forced to flee his land and the region after the paramilitaries said they would kill him.

Please send a message of protest condemning this latest murder and calling for a full investigation to the following:

Dr. ¡lvaro Uribe VÈlez
President of Colombia
Fax: 00 57 1 566 2071

Jorge Alberto Uribe
Minister of Defence
Email: siden@mindefensa.gov.co; infoprotocolo@mindefensa.gov.co; mailto:mdn@cable.net.co

Dr Carlos Franco
Director of the Presidential Human Rights Program
Email: cefranco@prsidencia.gov.co; fibarra@presidencia.gov.co

Dr Luis Camilo Osorio
Attorney General
Email: contactofiscalia@fiscalia.gov.co; denuncie@fiscalia.gov.co

Please also copy your message to the Justice for Colombia office on info@justiceforcolombia.org and the UN High Commission for Human Rights on oacnudh@hchr.org.co.

Justice for Colombia website:justiceforcolombia.org

May meeting - a branch record!

Another cracking turnout - of two. But I still haven't missed a meeting since I joined the union, so bobbins to all of you! If I keep it up I'll get a carriage clock when I'm 90, or something.

Sec's (tee hee) on holiday, but basically we had to hand out some material from the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom and pass a couple of membership applications. Those will have to wait until the next meeting as two members does not a quorum make.

The next meeting, as it happens, is our June summer solstice barbecue. 7pm, Tuesday 21 June on the beach near Sackville Gardens. The branch will provide food and barbecues, so just bring booze. And if it rains we'll retire to the pub nearby...

It would be really rather grand if more than two people showed up. A girl can only eat so many sausages, and I have no dog to help.

BTW, there are quite a few new members signed up to contribute to the blog now. Where are they all? I dunno. I feel like I'm scribbling on the back of my text book in Maths. Is anyone out there? Should I just get a life?!

What councils actually do...

A few posts back, Ade mentioned vacancies on quite a few of the union's industrial councils and then said he's not quite sure exactly what councils do.

In my rather limited experience on the new media industrial council, we basically have meetings, talk about what needs doing, and then go away and do it. And have another meeting. And so on.

I'm sure HQ can provide a formal explanation of the role of councils if anyone is desperately keen to know. But there are vacancies on the ethics council, amongst others, so if you feel strongly about industry issues in those areas then joining a council is your opportunity to have a say...

PS
I'm writing this in the pub just before our May meeting, and just realised I left all the bloomin' paperwork at home. Darn it.

Minutes of April meeting

Minutes of meeting on April 19

Present: Jemima Kiss, Adrian Colley, Adam Juniper, Rowan Dore, Doug Devaney, Fraser Addecott, Virginia Bridgewater, Linda Harrison, John Thompson.

1 Apologies: Barbara Wiseman, Karen Hoy, Steve Whitehead

2 New members elected

3 Minutes of March meeting - accepted, there were no items raised for further discussion.

4 Correspondence
i) Copy of Searchlight circulated. As were copies of Trade Union Friends of Searchlight newsletter.
ii) Meeting backed £50 donation in response to plea for cash from the Working Class Movement Library, Salford.

5 Officers' reports - Treasurer Adrian Colley said we had £1,336.23 in the bank.

6 ADM report. Rowan's report was accepted. Jemima said she and Rowan were diligent in attending the conference's business. She said it was exciting to meet people who are so committed to the trade union cause. NUJ President Jeremy Dear had been impressed by the branch's new website and wanted to talk about possibly developing the union's site on similar lines.

Jemima said she organised a meeting addressed by the technology editor of The Independent who knows his stuff and that one of the main highlights was a BBC speaker who gave a great speech, likening Beeb director-general Mark Thomson to a Rottweiler.

Rowan also mentioned the demand that local paper journalists be paid a minimum of £25,000 a year - which while desirable, was felt by the NEC (the union's chief decision-making body) to be an unrealistic expectation. He said that this was what journalists should aim for. Rowan said he hadn't realised how there was a whole block of people who more or less always back the NEC's view on issues debated at the ADM.

7 Chapel reports. Virginia said that even the Argus MD did not understand the proposed pay offer that Brighton Argus journalists have been offered. Pay rises offered ranged from 0 to 2.75%. Recent redundancies had seen Mac operators and a photographer - Alan Jones - made redundant and freelance photographers also faced cuts. Angry editorial recently boycotted the paper's 125th anniversary celebrations.

8 Branch reaffiliated to Justice for Colombia cause at a cost of £50.

9 June beach party. Meeting backed holding a party at Hove. Adrian Colley said he would look into obtaining a council licence etc. Final decision to be taken next month on party details. Fraser asked why that date was chosen and was told it would be instead of the monthly meeting and also had the advantage of possibly being the longest day of the year.

10 Any other business - Fraser and Virginia said they had attended a union-run international development campaign and they have established a project to encourage journalistic freedom in Colombia. They have a mentor from War on Want and asked the branch to back their, which they hope to develop with branch support.

CPBF annual meeting

If you want to attend the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom's agm at NUJ HQ on July 9 we have a nomination form. There's a registration fee of £16.

It's a chance to have an influence on CPBF policy. Aidan White, general secretary of the International Federation of Journalists will speak on 'globalisation and the media'.

Motions can be submitted by paid-up members of the CPBF (which includes the branch).

**PS - Several copies of March/April of CPBF available. Email nujbrighton@gmail.com if you want one put in the post.

Class act

Last week's meeting bunged £50 to The Working Class Movement Library (WCML) in Salford, in answer to a plea for cash - and they've been in touch to thank us.

The library holds a collection of English language books, periodicals, pamphlets, archives and artefacts, concerned with the activities, expression and enquiries of the labour movement, its allies and its enemies, since the late 1700s.

Click on the headline to see its website.

Wanna be a councillor?

HQ is looking for members to serve on NUJ committees like the ethics council and a variety of industrial councils.

For example, take the freelance council - the branch could nominate any member for the South seat, a black member for the black seat and a disabled member for the disabled seat.

* Newspapers and agencies - equality, black members, national newspapers and news agencies

* Magazine and book council - equality, black members and disabled members

* Freelance industrial council - South, black members and disabled members constituencies.

* PR and information - London/South East and disabled members

* Ethics - members sought from Book and Magazine sectors.

* New Media - Black members and disabled members

* Broadcasting - Agencies, black members and disabled members

I'm a bit hazy on how the councils operate, never having served on one. Maybe our chair Jemima can enlighten us on the new media council's operations?

If you're interested in standing please let us know at nujbrighton@gmail.com. You can be nominated at the May meeting, as closing date is May 31. If there's more than one nominee for a seat then you need to supply a ballot statement, as there will be a vote.

CPBF manifestos

The Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom has issued two new pamphlets - its 'Media Manifesto 2005' and 'Keeping Broadcasting Public'.

Manifesto - this 40-page A5 booklet outlines what the CPBF thinks the government should do to improve the 'media environment' and makes forthright demands on everything from Whitehall briefings to a regulatory framework for the internet.

Keeping Broadcasting Public - written by Tom O'Malley, this coincides with the recent launch of the government's green paper on the future of the BBC. It outlines plans to defend and improve the BBC and public service broadcasting.

It also highlights the dangers to the future of commercial public service broadcastings after Ofcom endorsed plans to slash regional ITV broadcasting to 1.5 hours a week.

We've been sent one copy of each publication. Email adecolley@1927club.com and I can put it in the post. Or either can be ordered at 50p a pop from the CPBF or click on the headline above and then click on the home page story which starts 'NEW Important Campaign pamphlets available' and you can download a pdf.

Peace and love and bloke from TV

Sussex Action for Peace are busy this week!

THURSDAY APRIL 28

Are we losing the right to protest? A public evening of information sharing, debate, networking and building alliances with guest speakers: Mark Thomas (activist/comic); Dr Caroline Lucas (Green MEP); Coun Keith Taylor (Green candidate); Plus local activists. At the Brighthelm Centre, Brighton, 7.30pm.

FRIDAY APRIL 29

Anti-war hustings. Ask candidates from all parties & all three Brighton & Hove
constituencies about their views on Iraq & Palestine; how they feel about EDO; what do they think of ID cards & Control Orders. At The Friends Meeting House, Ship Street, Brighton, 7.30pm.

SATURDAY APRIL 30

Protest for peace in Iraq. Meet 12 noon in George Street, Hove. March to Hove Town Hall & Defence Minister Ivor Caplin's last surgery!

Local newspaper pay rises

Head office reports Newsquest chapels in Scotland accepting 3% on the Sunday Herald; 3% in York, with minimums of £16,500 for newly qualified seniors on weeklies and £18,500 on the daily; at least 2.75% for staff at Bradford, w ith 3.5% for juniors and newly qualified seniors.

At Kendal, 2% has been agreed. At Darlington pay went up 9% for trainees with a 2.75% basic rise.

Johnston Press titles in Leeds have accepted a 3% increase and a minimum starting rate of £20,000 for seniors. Scottish Johnston Press chapels are considering a ballot on a pay offer giving between 2.5% and 3.5%.

Average earnings in the year to 2005 rose by 4.2%. Since then average has been 4.4%.

UKPG Argus piece

Press Gazette carried a piece on the Argus on page 3 this week

Three photographic Mac operators and the newsdesk secretary have gone and another photographic job could be cut. Use of freelance columnists and photographers has also been reduced. Editorial staff believe they are suffering the effects of a relaunch which was seen as a failure of the sales and marketing department.

NUJ members boycotted a party held on Friday to mark the paper's 125th birthday. Argus management was unavailable for comment.

Justice for Colombia affiliation

Justice for Colombia is celebrating after the release of an agricultural trade union's leader Luz Cordoba after a campaign to free her was launched last year.

She was held for more than a year without being formally charged and now released.

Last year JFC says 94 trade unionists were assassinated in Colombia - no one has been arrested for any of the crimes. JFC aims to end UK military aid to Colombia.

The branch has been asked to reaffiliated to JFC as our affiliation has run out and the campaign says support offered by groups like ours has helped with successes like Luz's release.

Rowan Dore on ADM 2005

Report on 2005 Annual Delegate Meeting Scarborough
April 7-10 2005 from Rowan Dore



Jemima Kiss and myself were the two delegates from the Brighton and Mid Sussex Branch.

We maintained a continuous presence on the conference floor for the three day conference and voted on virtually all the 142 motions put to the ADM. We made sure it was known that the Brighton and Mid Sussex was an effective branch representing all aspects of the media in the area.

Although there were no motions from Brighton and Mid Sussex for the 2005 ADM, I spoke on three issues:

• The need for a minimum £25,000 basic salary for all senior journalists

• I supported photographers in their call for a NUJ photographic organiser, who would deal with all matters affecting photographic staff.

• During a debate on a motion urging the NUJ to modernise its logo and rebrand some of its literature I warned the NUJ not to go down this road, citing the experience of The Argus, which has seen falling sales, a drop in advertising and now redundancies following its rebranding.

The minimum £25,000 motion was thrown out on the grounds that some seniors were only getting £14,000 a year and a leap to £25,000 was unrealistic. But there was general agreement that wages in the provincial sector were too low and salaried journalists were now falling behind teachers, nurses and firefighters.

There was a lot of criticism of Newsquest and Gannett for deliberately keeping wages low, especially as parent company Gannett is making profits of around £100 million a year. All senior journalists on the Yorkshire Post have broken the £20,000 pay barrier. The NUJ will continue to press for better pay for journalists.

The call for a photographic organiser was rejected out on the grounds it would cost the union £60,000 a year and would duplicate some of the work done by regional organisers.The idea of re-branding the NUJ by modernising its logo was withdrawn

Jemina, an ADM virgin, spoke up for the New Media Council, of which she is a member and organised a successful and well attended fringe meeting about blogging.

A lot of the ADM was taken up with issues concerning the cut backs and redundancies at the BBC, and how the sacking of thousands of BBC staff, many of them journalists. There was much talk about how this affected programme quality. The NUJ is fighting some of the redundancies and a day of action is planned. Don Mackglew, our regional organiser, asked me "When is The Argus going to have a day of action?". He also was in agreement that we should change our name to the Brighton and Sussex branch.

There was also discussion and debate about low pay in the provincial sector, the organisation of the union, health and safety matters and media freedom.

The union now has 36,000 members across all sections of the media and the numbers are growing daily. General Secretary Jeremy Dear's vision of a well run, campaigning union encompassing all aspects of the media is taking shape.

All union subscriptions are to go up by £5 annually from next Year, which will mean a slight increase in the monthly direct debit. Jeremy Dear said that when he was a delegate he always opposed such increases on the grounds that the union was previously squandering money. "We are now a well run effective campaigning union and to remain an effective campaigning union we need this increase."

It was agreed that the union should look at holding an ADM in Northern Ireland (There are always a lot of Irish delegates attending).

The next ADM will be from Thursday March 23 to March 26 2006 in Southport. Closing date for motions is November 7 and nominations for delegates should be completed by January 23 2006. Judging by the way recruitment to the branch is growing we should be able to send three delegates to Southport and play an important part in the next ADM.

Rowan Dore 

May Day stalls

Brighton and Hove unitary UNISON branch is marking May Day on Brighton seafront and we've been asked if we want to join in.

From 11am – 3pm on Monday, May 2, Unison is running a stall on the seafront on the seafront at the end of East Street, near the "kissing wall".

May Day is the day when trade unionists peacefully celebrate the achievements of the union movement, when we recommit ourselves to achieving economic and social justice for all. It is also a day when we remember our sisters and brothers who are suffering victimisation, such as trade unionists in Colombia, Palestine and Iraq.

Stalls at the event are free and Brighton and Mid Sussex NUJ has been asked if we want to run one. It could be a great opportunity for us to raise our profile in Sussex, forge links with other union activists and recruit new members.

There will be provision for union reps to take the opportunity to deliver speeches or addresses to those present throughout the day.

**NB from Adrian Colley. I won't be able to take part as I'll just have finished working seven nights in a row. Is there anyone out there who would be interested in taking this on? It occurred to me that maybe Argus journalists might be interested in publicising their pay campaign via an NUJ presence. Just a thought.