7 2018 DELEGATE MEETING Sharing victories with members


The NEC has been called on to publish an updated version of its “Organising to Win” pamphlet, which detailed the union’s industrial relations victories. The motion was tabled at the 2018 Delegate Meeting in Southport by the Derry and North West branch and passed unanimously. “Organising to Win” was a pamphlet the NUJ published about 15 years ago to highlight the union’s industrial relations successes. “Since the pamphlet was published in 2003 we have won some great victories,” Phil Mac Giolla Bháin, Derry and North West said, pointing to such recent victories as the


organisation at Alpha Newspapers and the right to negotiate collective rates for freelances. “I’m sure that stories of similar victories could be told in every branch area and every industrial sector,” Phil said. He added, “What I said at DM was that the irony was for a trade union of media professionals, we really should be better at communicating.” Phil said updating and republishing the


leaflet will help the union move forward by energising members and potential members, with the reminder that, “when we organise collectively we win, and when we win, everyone wins.”


Crossed wires or a line crossed?


The Irish Secretary Séamus Dooley told DM delegates in Southport that Communications Minister Denis Naughten had crossed a line in accepting a call from a PR consultant representing INM during the deliberative process regarding the proposed acquisition of the Celtic Media Group by Independent News & Media Plc.


Explaining the background to the case, he said Mr Naughten has ultimately made the correct decision in referring the proposed sale for consideration by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland. The NUJ had unsuccessfully sought a meeting “at an appropriate time” but no meeting was granted – Naughten had not even responded to a meeting request following the ultimate collapse of the deal. The Irish Secretary rejected Mr Naughten’s claim that it was widely understood that he was likely to refer the transaction for review under


relatively recent legislation, pointing out it was in fact the first time he had chosen to do so. Engaging in any conversation with the agent or representative of a vested commercial interest was inappropriate. “It was entirely inappropriate to have


discussed his thinking with a PR company or any individual acting for one of the parties. The minister refused to engage with the National Union of Journalists on this issue at any stage yet a majority shareholder in INM had access to Mr Naughten and was aware of his view long before they were made public.” Séamus also reminded delegates that the NUJ had been criticised in some quarters for opposing the INM acquisition. The union’s actions have been vindicated by a recent revelation by CMG chief Frank Mulrennan that the BAI’s insistence that editorial posts at CMG should be retained for a defined period was unacceptable to INM.


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