Birmingham and Coventry National Union of Journalists

Birmingham and Coventry NUJ

Calling notice - Branch Meeting
Tuesday 19th July
Queen's Road Baptist Church
Queen's Road
Coventry
CV1 3EG
6:00 for 6:30

Agenda:
1) Introduction by chair/those attending / apologies
2) Minutes of June meeting
3) Secretary/Treasurers reports
4) Branch reports/national reports
5) Accepted nominees for post of NUJ Deputy General Secretary
6) BBC - Strike Action
7) Any other business

Minutes/Correspondence of June meeting attached

Branch News/Views
- NUJ members vote for strike action at the BBC
- NUJ Deputy General Secretary
- Public Sector Workers Pensions Strike - Birmingham Demo
- Current composition of Branch members

NUJ members vote for strike action at the BBC
NUJ members at the BBC have voted 72 per cent in favour of strike action and 87 per cent in favour of action short of a strike. Thousands of journalists at the BBC are threatening to hold two national one-day strikes in July unless compulsory redundancies are stopped at the BBC.

NUJ general secretary Michelle Stanistreet said: "Once again NUJ members at the BBC have shown they will not accept compulsory redundancies. Today's result demonstrates that members at the BBC are fully prepared to stand up for their colleagues under threat. If the BBC wants to provoke a strike over such small numbers it would be shameful. We call on the BBC to get round the table with us and sort it out."
Read the full release here . . . .

NUJ Deputy General Secretary
At the NUJ Executive meeting on Friday 1 July the NEC agreed to include all three applicants - Barry Fitzpatrick - Helen Gavaghan - Chris Youett to be elected by ballot for the post of NUJ Deputy General Secretary. Barry, Helen and Chris have agreed to attend a 'Hustings', which will take place after the branch August meeting to be held in Birmingham. Profiles of all three candidates will be available in next branch newsletter.


Public Sector Workers Pensions Strike - Birmingham Demo
West Midlands, teachers, lecturers, jobcentre workers and other civil servants took strike action on the 30th June over the government's proposed changes to their pensions. Also on the same day members of UNISON who were on strike against proposed forced changes to working conditions by Birmingham City Council, they too were out in force and joined the demonstration. Stalingrad O'Neill photographed the demo; to view the photo gallery go here . . . .

Current composition of Branch members
147 members working for the BBC, in Birmingham, Cardiff, Hereford-Worcester, Coventry & Warwickshire. Areas of work: Asian Network, BBC Cardiff, BBC Coventry & Warwickshire, BBC Mailbox, BBC News Interactive (England), BBC Radio & Technology, BBC Radio Hereford-Worcester, and BBC Radio WM.

7 Birmingham City Council - 82 Birmingham Post & Mail - 13 Central News - 33 Coventry Newspapers - 125 Freelance - 67 Student Members - 35 Unemployed - 4 Wolverhampton Express & Star - 10 Retired - 78 Not attached - 24 Life members