Comments on: Join the NUJ? Why?

By: brendan thomas ryan

brendan thomas ryan — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 21:37:39 +0000

i have applied to join mame brendan thomas ryan 2e barnagh grove donaghadee co down n.ireland bt210aw phone 02891888111 or 07967144726

By: Why The Journalist needs Michael Cross as editor | Dave Lee / jBlog

Why The Journalist needs Michael Cross as editor | Dave Lee / jBlog — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:42:14 +0000

[...] Why join the NUJ? That’s what I asked, months ago, in response to my alienation at the union which should have helped me in an hour of need. [...]

By: The NUJ and online media » Gary Andrews

The NUJ and online media » Gary Andrews — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 22:13:46 +0000

[...] certainly wouldn’t go as far as Dave Lee, who, a few weeks ago, asked what the point of joining was. If anything, I think Dave’s given them too much of a harsh ride, although he has several [...]

By: Ywo

Ywo — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 11:41:13 +0000

I’m not an NUJ member but I have been a UNITE union rep involved in helping my NUJ rep colleague when overwhelmed with cases.

Many comments by others on this blog have outlined many of the reasons for being in a union at an individual level which are all valid.

For me, a union is still about collective solidarity and using that solidarity to get better pay, better terms and conditions, up-to-date training, much better than statutory redundancy payments and… respect.

By: Donnacha DeLong

Donnacha DeLong — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 23:02:59 +0000

One more thing:
“But how we will survive? We can’t afford them,” say the newspapers.

They’re lying:
See: http://www.nuj.org.uk/innerPagenuj.html?docid=1035

Some figures:
Company, Year (latest available), Operating profit (excluding exceptional items), Profit margin
Johnston Press, 2007, £178 million, 29.3 %
Reed Elsevier Group, 2007, £1,137 million, 24.8 %
Informa, 2007, £259 million, 22.9 %
Trinity Mirror, 2007, £196 million, 20.2 %
IPC, 2007, £67.1 million, 15.8 %
Archant, 2007, £30.5 million, 15.7 %
ITV, 2007, £311 million, 14.9 %
Pearson, 2007, £634 million, 14.7 %
Daily Mail and General Trust, 2007/8, £317 million, 13.7 %

Donnacha DeLong’s last blog post..The UK media in crisis (Corporatism in crisis Part I)

By: The NUJ and online media « Gary Andrews

The NUJ and online media « Gary Andrews — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 19:17:49 +0000

By: Donnacha DeLong

Donnacha DeLong — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 17:11:31 +0000

Some of the attitudes on display here make me despair. The union is the members, not the officials. The NUJ has a handful of full-time staff, consistently overworked and overstretched and, as a result, it’s rare to see a full complement at work – more often than not, at least one is off sick.

I joined the NUJ in university and became a fulltime member 10 years ago. I’ve faced every single frustrating issue it’s possible to face over that decade. Lack of inclusion of online journalists, lack of knowledge about the changes technology was bringing, lack of capacity leaving me without support, the list goes on.

The difference is, I joined a union, not a service. I became part of the system with an equal shot at trying to fix the problems. I’m now on the National Executive having held roles at every level up to this. The NUJ is a fantastically democratic union (and I’m also a member of Unite, so I can tell the difference), but that means it’s up to members to make use of that.

Don’t whinge on a blog, find your local branch or chapel and take part. Put your complaints, ask for help, get involved. Unions should not depend on full time staff they way they do, that’s what members are for. As you work in new media, join the union and complain to me – I’d be your NEC rep and it’s my responsibility to advance your concerns.

Donnacha DeLong’s last blog post..The UK media in crisis (Corporatism in crisis Part I)

By: NUJ follow up: I’m still not convinced | Dave Lee / jBlog

NUJ follow up: I’m still not convinced | Dave Lee / jBlog — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 16:54:26 +0000

[...] been doing some thinking about this whole NUJ thing. My post the other night reads very ranty — indeed, I guess it is very ranty — but I’m pleased to see that [...]

By: Caitlin

Caitlin — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 20:59:30 +0000

@Dilyan I’m afraid that your comment is meaningless when coupled with your caveat that you don’t know much about British unions. I can’t figure out where you are from for sure but I’m guessing the US from looking at your blog – and US trade unions and the entire legal system governing unionism is completely different in the US versus the UK. So whatever criticisms you have of the US system probably don’t apply.

@thatstheway It’s easy to mock when you are commenting anonymously, isn’t it? I don’t actually think Dave is at all out of line even if he is “expecting the union to serve him like a customer”. You say that you have to put something in and I agree but really I think the £15 membership fee qualifies. Yes, it’s true that unions rely on a lot of volunteer labour, especially at chapel level, but the full-time staff at HQ are paid and they should answer emails, even if it’s to say that they can’t help. Oh and by the way, ‘plow’ is the American spelling of ‘plough’ – it’s not wrong, it’s just a different type of correct.

Caitlin’s last blog post..Best job in the world

By: Martin Cloake

Martin Cloake — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 16:36:11 +0000

Like most organisations, the NUJ is host to different attitudes. I’ve heard some of the best and the worst during my time as a member. Many of Dave’s criticisms are simply down to the fact that a small union like the NUJ hasn’t got the resources to do as much as quickly as it would like. But however flawed, infuriating and just plain wrong the NUJ can sometimes be, it’s still the only union capable of sticking up for media workers industrially and professionally. There are lots of people inside the NUJ arguing for change, and also trying to make sure we carry on doing the good stuff. I don’t recognise the picture Dave paints, and I certainly think “cowardly” is over the top. I hope something constructive comes out of this discussion.