04 Informed


DM People


Changing of the NUJ guard


Aſter his two-year stint as president ended on the last day of DM, Tim Dawson handed over his chain of office to Sian Jones, who will be supported by Pierre Vicary who defeated Steve Bird, FoC of the FT’s chapel, in the election for vice-president. Séamus Dooley, assistant general


secretary, paid tribute to Tim for his great vision in the role, his huge level of energy and commented that his ability to sometimes ruffle feathers was an essential part of the job.


Tim, he said, had put on an innovative


programme of events, from cuting-edge poets to journalist Sir Harry Evans, at Downstairs at the NUJ, the new space created by the refurbishment of the union’s London HQ. He had travelled to Turkey to train journalists and meet union colleagues whose members had been imprisoned when the authorities cracked down on the press.


Sian Jones is a communications


professional who has worked in the private and not-for- profit sectors. She has been active in the PR and Communications branch for 12 years, a member of the national executive commitee and has represented the union at the TUC.


Te NUJ is in Sian’s blood; she recalls New look: Pierre Vicary & Sian Jone


as a wide-eyed youngster hearing about the Newspaper Society strike from her NUJ activist father, Alan Jones. She said: “Becoming NUJ president is a huge and daunting privilege. It’s disappointing to be only the third female president in our history, but it is a huge honour to follow in the footsteps of Michelle Stanistreet and my fellow PR comrade Anita Halpin. Te NUJ is a great family to belong to and I look forward to geting to know our members and industry beter in my time as president.” Vice-president Pierre Vicary is chair of the broadcasting industrial council and covered the US and Balkans for the World Service where he has worked since 1995. His main priorities are to fight for high standards in journalism and against casualisation. John Barsby was re-elected unopposed as the NUJ’s honorary general treasurer. Other elections: htps://www.nuj.org. uk/news/dm18-elections


Speaking as a first time delegate….


If Natasha Bernal, from the magazine and book industrial council, and Francis Clarke from Birmingham and Coventry branch, felt nervous as first-time delegates to conference they didn’t show it. Tese representatives of the union’s new blood threw themselves into the debate, speaking on a number of subjects, from union subs, a review of lapsing procedures to co-operative models in journalism. “It’s been really


interesting,” said Natasha,


“but there is a lot of paperwork; I’ve already got about five paper cuts!” Natasha works for Lawyer magazine and was responsible for seting up a chapel there. She was soon voted on to the magazines and books industrial council and is now a member of the union’s national executive council.


“My mother was an active


trade unionist and I was brought up to fight abuse and stand up for workers’ rights,” she said. She feels it is important to give a voice to those in the media


industry on low pay. Francis Clarke, who works


for a university, spoke to a number of motions, including defending whistleblowers and, based on personal experience when a member died and had to be repatriated to Ireland, persuaded DM to accept a rule change to increase the union’s death benefit from £600 to £750. Tere were lots of new faces at DM18, including six first- timers from the BBC. Of the delegates, 3.6%


were under-28; 12.6% 28-39; 23.4% 40-50; 34.2% 51-61; and 22.5% over 61.


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