NUJ members and Defend the Right To Protest are holding a public meeting next week on fighting back against Murdoch’s grip on UK politics.

The hacking scandal has revealed News International’s influence at the top of British politics, its corruption of police and illegal pursuit of stories that harm ordinary people. The Murdochs have enriched themselves at the expense of others’ misery and used their powerful media empire to attack trade unionists; support illegal wars; fuel racism, sexism and homophobia and demand that governments carry out free market policies at the expense of our welfare services.

Tony Benn, NUJ general secretary Michelle Stanistreet, campaigning lawyer Matt Foot, and Merlin Emmanuel from the Justice for Smiley Culture  (who was killed in police custody), will address the meeting with plenty of time for contributions from the floor about how to reveal and fight the corruption of the press, politicians and police and what sort of media we want.

All welcome.

Tuesday 26 July at 7pm, Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, London WC1R (nearest tube Holborn).

The NUJ will have a new general secretary this year after the incumbent, Jeremy Dear, announced he would not stand for a third term.

Press Gazette’s take on it is here and they have republished an interview with Jeremy from last year.

The NUJ Left will have a view on the coming election and may well support one of the candidates. This will be discussed at our next national meeting. If you would like to get involved please email nuj.left@googlemail.com

Public meeting: Support NUJ and FBU strikers

A public meeting in south London on the eve of the BBC and FBU strikes will be addressed by leading members of the unions involved:

• Jeremy Dear, general secretary of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ)
• Becky Branford, BBC NUJ member
• Ian Leahair, from the national executive of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU)

Salvation Army Hall, Princess Street, Elephant and Castle, SE1 6HH, at 7pm on Thursday 4 November.

The meeting has been organised by local campaign group Southwark Save Our Services.

More details on NUJ website, what you can do to help.

Background to the BBC dispute

The NUJLeft offers its full support to London firefighters and tube staff who are on strike this week and in the coming months.

The attacks on these workers will lead to loss of pay and jobs, worse working conditions, and undermine the safety of our public services.

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A new leaflet, Open Channel, has been issued by BBC staff against the pensions robbery.

Latest leaflet from BBC reps against the pensions offer

Under the name, Open Channel, a coalition of NUJ and Bectu reps are campaigning for a no vote in the ballot on the BBC’s latest pension offer.

Download a copy here to read and distribute to your work colleagues. Here are highlights of the leaflet below.


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The immediate defence by journalists at the Financial Times of Chinese colleagues threatened by management with redundancy has brought complete victory. The FT chapel demanded unanimously that the redundancy threat be lifted from their four colleagues on the FTChinese website, and warned that otherwise FT journalists would ballot on industrial action. So management changed its mind.

More here

Health and Safety at work is key issue for trade unionists especially in the media. Issues including RSI, back and neck pains, long hours, stress, screen breaks and eyesight can all affect media workers.

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About 30 NUJ activists met in central London on 17 October. The meeting was timely, coming as it was in the run-up to protests against the BNP’s Nick Griffin appearing on Question Time and when media workers are fighting for jobs and quali

During the day. activists discussed strategies for defending jobs and quality in the media, solidarity work, the war in Afghanistan, fascism in the media and the coming ADM.

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Ballot papers have now been issued for the election of editor of the Journalist and NUJ Left is urging members to vote for Richard Simcox.

Richard is a first-class journalist and, crucially, a committed trade unionist – the essential mix to be the next editor of our union’s magazine at what is certain to be a challenging time for journalists and journalism.

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The strategy of denying a platform to fascists will be one of the key issues discussed at the NUJ Left conference later this month.

Weyman Bennett, joint secretary of Unite Against Fascism, will lead the debate on the subject brought again into focus following the BBC’s decision to invite BNP leader Nick Griffin onto Question Time.

The NUJ Left conference will debate our response to the far right and our industrial tactics

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