viewpoint


A year that tested and showed our strength


NUJ can be proud of its crisis response, says Michelle Stanistreet A


s we near the end of a year that has thrown unimagined challenges at all of us, I’m proud that the one


constant throughout these crazy times has been the NUJ’s unrivalled support for its members and robust voice for journalism. From the moment the pandemic


took hold and ‘lockdown’ became common parlance, the NUJ has battled hard for its members – gaining critical agreement for recognised key worker status for newsgatherers and ensuring the National Police Chiefs Council issued clear instructions to police officers not to interfere with reporters and photographers doing their job. The likely economic impact on an


already beleaguered media industry was clear. As was the vital role of journalists and journalism at a time of unprecedented need, with high-quality, reliable news and information depended upon more than ever. What started as a press statement became the NUJ news recovery plan, From Health Crisis to Good News, and our most important union-wide campaign. It has propelled lobbying work across


the nations and regions since it was published in April, with brilliant support from NUJ branches and activists calling for investment in jobs, tax credits, media literacy initiatives and overdue action to make the tech giants pay their way. Great work by officials and reps throughout the industry, fighting to save jobs and ensure meaningful negotiations over changes and cuts, shows how fragile the industry is and the clear need for government action.


NUJ staff and officials rose to the


challenge of closing our offices in Dublin, Glasgow, Manchester and London’s Headland House, moving to working from home. We decided early on not to furlough any staff, prioritising retaining our resources to maximise support and services. Like everyone else, team meetings and staff catch-ups by Teams or Zoom have given us all a snapshot of colleagues’ domestic life. For me, working from the kitchen table means video meetings and negotiations being frequently interrupted by voluble chickens in the back garden, the dog going crazy at (another) passing skateboarder, cats bedding down on the keyboard, a three-year-old daughter keen to wave hello to the person on the screen, or a hungry 17-year-old crashing about making yet another cheese toastie. Never have an air-conditioned office and adult colleagues and conversation seemed more attractive… Deepening restrictions in Ireland and


the UK affected planning for the new budget year, which kicked in on October 1. Agreeing a budget against a backdrop of enormous uncertainties and straitened finances was difficult. While our organising work and


recruitment in workplaces that are facing cuts (for example Reach and the BBC) has brought in new members and income, we have had to renegotiate rental terms with our tenants and not been able to hire space out for events. A postponed delegate meeting meant no decision to increase subs after a six-year freeze. More redundancies in the industry look likely, and our own surveys point to many members contemplating leaving the industry altogether.


To balance that, remote working has


meant a significant drop in spending on meetings and travel; sending The Journalist digitally has saved printing and postage costs; and we’ve agreed to defer significant increases to the union’s pension deficit contribution until the second quarter of 2021. In that context, we also proposed a


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package of changes to our staff, including working four days a week, until the end of September 2021. The aim was to create some flexibility in the staffing budget – the union’s largest area of spend – at the same time as improving work-life balance while we work remotely. The NUJ continues to operate on a


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five-day basis, with the usual emergency arrangements for out of office hours. Following constructive engagement with all three staff unions, a package of changes was agreed, effective from November 1 until next October, when staff revert to office- based working on a five-day pattern. Our London office remains open to


We decided early on not to furlough any staff, prioritising retaining our resources to maximise support and services


tenants and, once events can take place safely, the lower ground space will be back up and running. We were also able to offer contracts to two colleagues who were working temporarily with the union when lockdown hit and, assuming finances allow, our hope is to increase staffing in the coming year. Our collective priority, industrially


and internally, is ensuring that whatever the coming months bring, the NUJ remains fighting fit, supporting our members and defending journalists and journalism.


Michelle Stanistreet is the NUJ general secretary


theJournalist | 09


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