tuc news


TUC joins support for Belfast journalists who exposed police-paramilitary collusion


The TUC agreed unanimously to back two Belfast-based journalists arrested after they exposed collusion between the British Army, the RUC and Loyalist paramilitary groups in the unsolved Loughinisland massacre investigation. On August 31, Trevor Birney and Barry McCaffrey, who used information based on a leaked Police Ombudsman report to help make their critically acclaimed film No Stone Unturned, had their homes raided and were arrested on suspicion of theft of confidential documents. Proposing the motion, NUJ


delegate Chris Frost (pictured) said the film had been completed more than a year


ago. It seemed the police hoped to find names of confidential sources during the raid. He called for the immediate lifting of the threat of legal action and asked delegates to condemn the targeting of whistleblowers and the criminalisation of journalists. Chris, who chairs the NUJ’s


ethics council, reminded delegates that foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt had recently criticised the jailing of journalists who had written about Myanmar. However, he had remained silent about the journalists arrested in Northern Ireland. Chris added: “The arrest of


two union members carrying out an important


Court of Human Rights has instructed the government to ensure journalists are not obliged by the courts to reveal them. The TUC backed the NUJ’s


campaign for union branches to show No Stone Unturned, which is available on YouTube.


investigation involving police collusion with paramilitary groups in the murder of UK citizens is nothing short of an outrage.” Safeguarding sources is enshrined in the NUJ’s Code of Conduct, and the European


The motion, carried unanimously, was seconded by Tony Kearns of the Communication Workers’ Union. Prospect’s Claire Mullaly


said her union stood in solidarity with the NUJ. “The media has a responsibility to seek the truth on public interest issues and must be allowed to undertake this role unhindered,” she said.


“


NUJ president Sian Jones spoke for the 3.2 million who work while others sleep when she proposed the union’s motion calling for better protection for night workers. “We need to shine a light on the


Shine a light on night workers’ conditions NUJ members often have to work


working standards they encounter,” she said.


Sian suggested the TUC develop a


best practice model, focusing on health, safety and welfare of night workers. The motion was carried.


nights without reasonable safeguards and allowances. The health risks of this are established, and media workers have reported being so tired they are almost falling asleep at the wheel driving home.


NUJ praised for work to address gender pay gap “


When the BBC was forced to publish pay details of its higher earners, it soon became obvious what was happening


Michelle Stanistreet NUJ general secretary


Delegates applauded the NUJ for its work on exposing the pay gap in the media industry – with 91 per cent of companies paying men more than women. NUJ general secretary Michelle Stanistreet said when the BBC was forced to publish pay details of its higher earners, it soon became obvious what was happening. Two thirds on the list were men and there were hardly any black journalists. The pay gap was not


confined to higher earners at


the BBC and the NUJ has supported 200 equal pay claims with many women securing an increase in salaries and backdated pay. In April, all companies with


more than 250 employees had to reveal pay discrepancies. The NUJ motion, carried unanimously, called for this to be extended to smaller companies and for the introduction of penalties if they failed to act. Michelle urged the TUC to


help trade unions lead the way on pay parity.


theJournalist | 7


The arrest of two union members carrying out an investigation is nothing short of an outrage


Chris Frost NUJ ethics committee


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JOHN HARRIS REPORT DIGITAL


JESS HURD


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