The national NUJ Left meeting on 6 March discussed two key issues facing the union: the crisis at the BBC and the growth of the BNP/EDL. Other subjects discussed were union democracy, solidarity with Russian workers and building the NUJ Left.

Fighting the BBC cuts

All members attacked the proposed BBC cuts proposed by director general Mark Thompson. Many believed that the Thompson’s proposals were doing the bidding of the Tories and Rupert Murdoch without waiting for the election result.

Members reported on the union’s NEC plan to fight the cuts. The plan was criticsised for its lack of urgency with several members arguing the union would be missing an important opportunity, especially with the national outcry over the proposed closure of 6 Music and Asian Network, not to have a national rally and start a campaign this side of the election.

Members also pointed to letters in the national press from celebrities, leading Asian people and trade union leaders opposing the closure of Asian Network and 6 Music. This showed that there was a groundswell of support for such a campaign.

After a discussion, the meeting decided to instruct David Crouch, FoC Financial Times, to contact General Secretary Jeremy Dear and circulate a “round robin” to BBC staff with the proposal that the union’s NEC hold a rally in central London in April with a platform including national celebrities to kick off a campaign to stop the cutbacks.

Combating the far-right

The meeting also discussed the setting up of EXPOSE, which had just had a successful launch meeting in London,  and its aims and intentions. Every member was asked to table motions in their NUJ branches calling for financial support for EXPOSE. It was also decided to encourage members in Manchester, Sheffield and Glasgow to hold EXPOSE rallies.

The meeting also proposed requesting the union to put on transport for members in London and the south east who want to go to Bolton on the 20th March. (The union has agreed to fund people traveling on the UAF coaches.)

Several members present at the meeting had the day before been at the rally in Parliament Square to stop the EDL marching and reported back from the events. This sparked a discussion about the role of the police, the nature of the EDL and its support and how to combat both the core and the periphery of the far-right. An amended motion was passed on the BNP/EDL (see below).

Other business

Members also discussed the erosion of union democracy with annual delegate meetings now being held at 18 month intervals and NEC elections every two years. A motion was passed calling for the re-instatement of annual delegate meetings.

A discussion as held on solidarity with a Russian worker, who has been arrested and imprisoned for recruiting miners to an independent union. (see motion below)

It was felt that to build the NUJ Left there should be more local meetings or socials and we needed more reporting of events/campaigns/disputes sent in to the website. There was a proposal for producing an NUJ Left bulletin for the election period.

1) Proposed on NUJ democracy, passed unanimously

This meeting believes that the union should hold annual delegate meetings and have annual elections for the NEC.

2) Proposed on solidarity with Russian workers, passed unanimously

“The NUJ Left agrees to support the international campaign in solidarity with Valentin Urusov, a Russian diamond miner, who was framed and imprisoned after recruiting workmates to an independent union.

The NUJ Left agrees to follow the lead of the UK National Union of Mineworkers and write in protest to the President of Russia.

NUJ Left supporters are urged to ask their branches to do the same and to send resolutions in support of the Urusov campaign to the NUJ executive and to trades councils to which they are affiliated.”

3) Proposal on far-right groups, passed on contested vote

Fascist and far-right groups are feeding off the economic recession and the failures of the Labour government to deliver for working-class people.

To be effective, anti-fascist campaigning needs to address the social causes for people’s alienation from mainstream politics, and to campaign with social demands such as ‘Defend and create jobs, homes, better public services’.

It must also build mass mobilisations of trade unionists, black and Asian people and progressives to stop the far right from marching, organising and campaigning.

We should also support the Expose campaign and its series of regional meetings.

If this brings us into conflict with some would-be anti-fascists among mainstream politicians – Tory, Liberal and New Labour – that is a price we should be willing to pay for having adequate politics to meet the growth of the far-right.

This meeting agrees to support all local and regional meetings set up to organise opposition to the BNP and EDL, including the meeting in Nottingham on Saturday 27 March called by Notts Stop the BNP which aims to build a network of working class and trade union anti-fascist campaigners.

Posted by Admin