NUJ remembers murdered journalist Lyra McKee


ALL AROUND the world, media freedoms are being threatened and journalists are losing their lives for doing their jobs, the NUJ general secretary told delegates. Michelle Stanistreet made a special presentation to Sara Canning (pictured right), partner of journalist Lyra McKee, who died after being shot on April 18 this year as she observed a confrontation between police and rioters in the Creggan area of Derry. NUJ members held vigils and other events in many locations to celebrate McKee’s life and signed condolence books in her memory. Stanistreet said she was


presenting the books to Sara “on behalf of Lyra’s NUJ family for whom she will always be held in massive affection”. Owen Reidy, assistant


general secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, said that when Lyra McKee was shot, she was “standing


Irish delegate conference in brief...


WORKERS LOSE STEADY INCOME The rights of journalists, health workers, teachers and other professionals to steady employment and a predictable income have declined, Irish Congress of Trade Unions assistant general secretary Owen Reidy told delegates. He said: “This is a common problem which can only be challenged by common resolve across all economic sectors.”


taking notes and filming on her phone, doing her job, going about her work, while so-called dissident republicans rioted in the Creggan”. He added: “Whatever about their right to hold certain views, these people do not, I believe, deserve the honour of being called ‘dissident’.” He said the term dissident implied “thinking against the grain – it implies acting in a manner which is true to your own beliefs and values while not trampling on the rights of others, in


particular their right to life.” A motion from the Belfast


and District Branch, passed unanimously, instructed the Irish executive council “to liaise with the ICTU to call action as necessary against sectarian violence and the activities of paramilitary groups”. The motion also instructed the IEC to work towards the NUJ setting up a charitable fund that will commemorate Lyra McKee by providing training, grants or other assistance to young journalists.


“ Name those who reject recognition


REFUSAL BY managements to recognise unions is increasing, the conference heard. Delegates unanimously


approved an Irish South-West Branch motion “to seek the backing of the Irish Congress of


Trade Unions for a campaign to highlight this practice — including a naming and shaming campaign”. Irish Organiser Ian McGuinness


said: “Naming and shaming works. It works in Ireland, because we’re a small country


and it works particularly well with local newspapers, and I’ve seen that on an ongoing basis.” He added that ICTU was also


pressing the Irish government to legislate for statutory recognition of trade unions.


SOME PROPOSED solutions to social media harassment could be counterproductive, Dr Karlin Lillington (pictured left) told a session on ‘hate speech’.


The Irish Times columnist added that it was


often argued that social media users should have to provide formal identification and people should not be able to hide behind anonymity by using encryption. However, the


She was standing taking notes and filming on her phone, doing her job, going about her work, while so-called dissident republicans rioted


Owen Reidy Irish Congress of Trade Unions


NEW DUO TO CHAIR IRISH EXECUTIVE Dara Bradley and Siobhán Holliman from the West of Ireland branch have been elected to chair the NUJ’s Irish Executive Council on a job-share basis, in succession to Gerry Carson of Belfast and District and Bernie Mullen from Derry North-West Branch, who jointly held the position for four years.


TOUGH CONDITIONS IN SOMALILAND NUJ member and asylum-seeker Mohamed Abdi Curad was an observer at the conference. He told delegates about the difficulties experienced by journalists in his home country of Somaliland, including inhuman treatment and imprisonment.


DELEGATES CALL FOR SAFETY TRAINING The conference passed a motion, proposed by photographer Liam McBurney of Belfast and District Branch, to organise training for NUJ members in Ireland around personal safety in situations where they might be at risk, as well as support for those who experience violence, threats or trauma in their work.


Social media bullying controls could backfire


problem was that “the very activists who are often attacked also need anonymity, especially outside western democracies”, she said. Sara Canning, who was Lyra McKee’s partner,


said McKee had been “the victim of a sustained bullying campaign” on social media. On a separate issue, Dr Lillington said she


would like to see tax from companies such as Google ringfenced for public-service broadcasting.


RECOGNITION FOR LIFE MEMBERS Life membership certificates were presented to Irish NUJ members who have been in the union for at least 40 years. One of them Tony Mulvey, who recently retired from the Clare Champion newspaper, joined in 1961 and his father had joined in 1943.


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DEREK SPIERS


DEREK SPIERS


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