Informed 03


Coping with gale-force winds of change


support and helpful colleagues is entirely different proposition. Decisions had to be taken quickly


By Seamus Dooley


Ní hé lá na gaoithe lá na scolb. Te old Gaelic proverb, translated as


“A windy day is not a day for thatching” resonated as the NUJ came to grips with the full implications of the Covid-19 pandemic for the union, the media industry and, most importantly of all, for our members and their dependants. Faced with a gale of unprecedented


ferocity the NUJ team had to move quickly to steady the ship, puting in place emergency measures for remote working. Most officials are used to working remotely but abandoning the structure of an office with administrative


Message from Chris Wheal, chair of trustees NUJ Extra


“I am a sports journalist left with no work at all as a result of the near-blanket cancellation of all sport. As a husband and father, I still have considerable monthly outgoings – just limited funds with which to meet my responsibilities.” This is just one of many desperate emails the union has received. Now, NUJ Extra is geared up to pay out hundreds of thousands of pounds to help members affected by the coronavirus. The


but by using technology our service to members has been maintained, albeit delivered differently and occasionally more slowly than we might wish. While our offices remain closed members can still contact their local offices and officials using the same phone numbers and email addresses. From day one we advised that disciplinary meetings or grievance hearings should be postponed. Legal advice is available on the NUJ website about the duties of employers and employees.


One of the first initiatives was the


introduction of video team meetings for officials. Te development and policy commitees were held incorporeally. It’s no substitute for human contact, but for members working remotely all of the conferences were a welcome opportunity to catch up and, on a lighter note, to gain an insight into the home environment of colleagues! As we go to press, officials are caught up in a tsunami of messages from


trustees have waived one of its key guidelines that it cannot top up incomes of members who are unable to earn enough from journalism. The mass loss of income caused by the response to Covid-19 will now qualify for NUJ Extra help, even where the member has not contracted the virus or had to self-isolate to care for someone at risk or who has contracted it. The trustees are stepping up to process applications and have asked that members who can afford to wait a week or two do so. Trustees are prioritising applicants: • Who are the sole income earner and have dependants. • Who have a caring role.


besieged chapel reps faced with notices of layoffs, part-time working, temporary closures and redundancies. In the context of the state assistance packages, announcements unprecedented from a Tory government, there is no justification for employers rushing to lay off staff rather than exploring the new range of options available. Te NUJ was shocked to learn of the decision of Iconic Newspapers Ltd in Ireland to lay off staff in advance of the well-heralded Irish announcement of a temporary subsidy for employers. I have writen to An Taoiseach highlighting the crisis in the Irish media, especially in the regional press sector. It makes our call for a Commission on the Future of the Media in Ireland even more pressing. Te Irish government has supported the media’s role and in his televised address, an Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, stressed the important part played by journalists in keeping the public informed. As in the UK, industry groups have, like the NUJ, successfully argued that media workers are key to the delivery of news and information. What is staggering is how some media organisations undermine that argument by seeking to lay off workers. Even in a storm the NUJ must look to the future. At the end of this crisis there will be many roofs to thatch.


• Who have no other available support. NUJ members need extra help and NUJ Extra will provide it. NUJ Extra has appealed to members, branches and chapels to donate to help those who need help. More information: https://www.nuj.org.uk/news/nuj-extra- response-to-covid-19/


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12