Branch October 2024


Following the election campaign and a ballot of all eligible members, the NUJ’s Executive Council has endorsed the outcome of that ballot and welcomed Laura Davison as the union’s General Secretary Elect.


tribute to both candidates’ campaigning efforts and engagement with members during this important election. It was great to see so many hustings


I


organised by branches across the union’s nations and regions, providing members with the chance to hear firsthand from both candidates. Over the coming weeks Laura and I will be working closely together on the handover of work ahead of my stepping down as General Secretary. Across the pond, another election is


well underway and in just a few weeks, Trump or Harris will be announced as the next United States president. With a campaign increasingly demonstrating the sway exerted by disinformation and outlandish rhetoric, the role trusted news plays in democracies couldn’t be more topical. Whether you’re one to stay up tracking results or otherwise, it is likely we will all pay close atention to the impact on press freedom in the country. Talking of freedoms, at the beginning of October, LexisNexis and LexisNexis Risk Solutions (formerly RBI) told our two chapels of its intention to terminate long-standing recognition agreements with the union. To derecognise the NUJ and


scrap two longstanding collective bargaining agreements without any discussion or engagement is a contemptuous and arrogant move on the part of the company. Te NUJ strongly condemns the


’m proud to be handing over the baton to Laura and I have no doubt her extensive experience and commitment will make her an excellent leader of our union. I paid


decision and is urging a reversal of this ill-judged atempt to remove collective bargaining rights from journalists and editorial workers. I have no doubt that this move – ironically shared just days before the UK government announced its raſt of plans to upgrade workers’ rights including making recognition easier and delivering access to workplaces for unions – will backfire and we are working on our campaign to see off this derecognition as we speak.


Aid for Gaza


Journalists in Gaza need your help to do their job in desperate circumstances. Te IFJ is supplying vital equipment and aid. Please donate to its safety fund. Branches can email jackiec@nuj.org to transfer from their


management allowances. DONATE NOW


I’ll be pleased and proud to oversee the launch of our new online Journalists’ Safety Tracker next month, allowing journalists to easily report both historic and more recent incidents of abuse encountered during the course of their work. It can be difficult reliving abuse experienced whether targeted at you, colleagues or family, but I hope submissions to the tracker will support our engagement including with government, to stamp out violence and stress the need for adequate investment in tackling the issue. Bea


Bennet reports on the tracker on page four. Since Martin O’Hagan’s death in


September 2001, along with Séamus Dooley, I have called for a proper and independent investigation into his killing and for those responsible to face justice. Read about the leter sent to political leaders urging action on page five. You will have seen reports on the escalation of war between Israel and Hezbollah resulting in a rising journalists’ death toll, donations to the IFJ Safety fund are a practical and useful way in which we can show solidarity with colleagues. Tis month, I’ll brief parliamentarians on the union’s calls to governments and employers on necessary journalistic safeguards needed in the use of artificial intelligence. It’s a timely opportunity given Google’s calls last month for text and data mining exceptions to be granted for commercial use. Such carte blanche access to our members’ copyright works would prove damaging to the livelihoods of journalists and those of our sister unions in the wider creative industries, our opposition to these lobbying efforts will therefore remain.


Michelle Stanistreet


NUJ


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