Sunday, 29th February is International Repetitive Strain Injury Awareness Day. The last day of February is chosen as the only day that doesn't repeat every year.

To mark the occasion, the TUC is calling on employers to ensure that any employee who uses a keyboard regularly is trained to do so properly. Research has shown that those who have not been trained to type are far more likely to develop RSI because they use the same fingers repeatedly and use the mouse too much.

Each year 400,000 people suffer from upper limb or neck disorders. And despite the claims of some employers that RSI doesn't exist, last year the problem led to around four million working days being lost at an estimated cost of anywhere between £5 billion and £20 billion.

The TUC has provided an online checklist to find out how to prevent RSI, available at: www.tuc.org.uk/rsi.

TUC General Secretary, Brendan Barber, said: "As more and more people are getting computers at their desks we are becoming a nation of two fingered typists. While you can become quite proficient without typing properly, you are putting yourself at serious risk of developing RSI.

"The TUC is calling on employers to provide typing training to all regular keyboard workers to help tackle this devastating illness."

The RSI checklists compliments comprehensive information on RSI at: www.workSMART.org.uk.

A series of TUC rights leaflets are available on the TUC website and from the know your rights line 0870 600 4 882. Lines are open every day from 9am-9pm. Calls are charged at the national rate.

The NUJ has said that the end of ITV programme making in Nottingham sounds the death knell for commercial TV's commitment to the Midlands.

As the union had predicted, Central's MD Ian Squires announced the closure of the Nottingham studios yesterday with the loss of 200 jobs. Reviews of Central's programming operations are likely to mean more job losses.

NUJ National Broadcasting Organiser Paul McLaughlin said: "The proposals to close Nottingham studios with the loss of hundreds of jobs will cut right into the heart of the Midlands community.

"In the process a corps of hundreds of highly skilled broadcast workers will be cast asunder."

Central announced the building of a new "newsgathering centre" in the East Midlands, but McLaughlin said: "It is not just about regional and local news, but programmes. These plans sound the death knell for ITV's regional broadcasting commitment and should not be allowed to go ahead.

"Regional communities deserve a proper broadcasting service, but for Central it seems it's the shareholders who gain and the viewers who lose. In the long run the shareholders will lose as well because Central will not be a proper competitor to other broadcasters."

Mansfield Labour MP Alan Meale had tabled a Parliamentary Early Day Motion asking ITV not to shut down the complex.

Official Secrets Act 1989 (c. 6)

The NUJ yesterday insisted that the Official Secrets Act should be scrapped following the decision to drop charges against former GCHQ translator Katharine Gun.

Gun had leaked an email from the National Security Agency in the USA asking GCHQ to bug the UN delegations of other countries to put political pressure on them. After the case, she said: "I have no regrets and I would do it again."

The NUJ argues that her admission points to there being an irrefutable case against her under the OSA, despite which the Attorney General decided not to proceed. There has been speculation that the trial would have involved the disclosure of information embarrassing for the government, but there was also a risk that the OSA would have been discredited.

General Secretary Jeremy Dear said: "Twenty years ago in a similar case civil servant Clive Ponting was acquitted after openly leaking secret documents in the public interest.

"In the current climate the public and possibly the jury would have sympathised with the obvious honesty of Katharine Gun. Even if they couldn't acquit her, a conviction would have been politically damaging."

The NUJ has long called for a "public interest" defence to protect whistle-blowers who give stories to the media to expose official lies, dirty tricks or corruption. It has supported whistle-blowers in the past, including, most recently, the former MI5 officer David Shayler, jailed for leaking stories in 2002.

But Dear said: "At the very least there should be a public interest defence, but this affair has shown that the Act is untenable. There is an accused person who admits her guilt but they can't prosecute her. It's time to get rid of the OSA altogether."

Official Secrets Act 1989 (c. 6)

MPs from all parties are joining the NUJ in demanding that ITV plc honour its promises to protect regional services.

It is feared that a review by Central TV - until this month part of Carlton but now absorbed by ITV plc - will see the company's Nottingham studios shut down and news programmes being moved to Birmingham.

Journalists and technical staff amongst ITV's two hundred Nottingham workers would be forced to move under any relocation with job losses inevitable.

The quality of service to hundreds of thousands of viewers would also be damaged by having their regional news programme moved 60 miles from Nottingham.

Mansfield Labour MP Alan Meale has tabled a Parliamentary Early Day Motion asking ITV not to shut down the 17-acre complex and move staff to Birmingham. The EDM has so far been signed by 27 MPs.

THE EDM states: "(This House) is alarmed that such a decision should be made without recourse to a full and proper consultation process...(it would lead to) the loss of both valuable TV production skills and communicative opportunities in the East Midlands which in turn would lead to much more limited and inferior regional news and current affairs services for those people living in that part of the country."

NUJ National Broadcasting Organiser, Paul McLaughlin, said: "If the studios are moved to Birmingham and if many of the production staff go as well, viewers in the East Midlands will get an inferior service. How can producers and presenters working and living more than fifty or sixty miles away give them a truly "local" news service?"

"ITV has pledged that regional news and programmes will be at the heart of the newly merged company. Any moves to cut back studio operations in this way would clearly contradict that promise."

MPs in the region, many of whom fought to get an ITV service based in the East Midlands, have already written to the broadcasting regulator OFCOM to protest.

Central TV

Thursday, marked the first anniversary of the summary dismissal of two NUJ activists, Adli Hawwari, a Palestinian, and Abdul-Hadi Jiad, an Iraqi, from their jobs in the BBC Arabic Service. Both were sacked without prior warning or any disciplinary hearing, with Greg Dyke having played an active role.

To mark the occasion, NUJ leaders will address a rally, which will take place between 12.30pm and 2pm outside the BBC World Service at Bush House in London.

Denied union representation and any opportunity to present a defence or to appeal, the NUJ sprang to its members defence immediately.

Now the union reaffirms its commitment to the reinstatement of our sacked colleagues and demands that every BBC member of staff should be accorded full rights under BBC procedures, employment law and the principles of natural justice.

The NUJ will continue to defend the BBC as a public service broadcaster, and has played a lead role in mobilising support for the corporation following the Hutton Report.

However, the NUJ will always defend the rights of our members, including the fundamental right to union representation at the workplace.

The two members are taking their case against the BBC to an Employment Tribunal later in the year. But the union insists that both should be reinstated before then and their grievances properly discussed.

Justice for Adli Hawwari & Abdul-Hadi Jiad (Campaign site)

On Saturday, 13th March, the Black Members Council and Leeds branch are to jointly host a conference on reporting race.

In the run-up to the June elections and in the light of the British National Party's attempts to exploit the murder of a teenager to stir racial tension, it has never been more important that journalists are adequately prepared to report responsibly and accurately.

The BNP is claiming that its attempts on Monday to intimidate the Commission for Racial Equality and the NUJ were a success. The BNP website claims that "around a hundred" people joined its demonstration. Figures reported to us had the BNP contingent at 37 while 200 people joined the NUJ's counter-demonstration at the Headland House offices.

The reporting on race conference starts at 1pm at Leeds Civic Hall and members from all parts of the UK are welcome to attend.

More details are available from Northern Regional Organiser, Miles Barter. Email: MilesB@nuj.org.uk.

The respected media charity, the PressWise Trust, is to undergo a major transformation, not the least of which is the donning of a new name.

MediaWise, as the organisation will now be known, is to expand its activities to promote direct dialogue between journalists and the public.

This will be facilitated via the new MediaWise Forum, which Director Mike Jempson hopes will "encourage debate on key journalistic issues, reflecting our belief that open democracy is best served if there is a compact of trust between journalists and the public.

"The aim is to share concerns and seek resolution of apparent conflicts of
interest by broadening the debate. We hope that what will emerge will be of interest and value to the public, journalists, journalism trainers, media
executives and media regulators."

The first topic for discussion will be the highly contentious Hutton Report, which the NUJ has rejected as an attack on media freedom. MediaWise published its own reaction to Hutton, highlighting the report's implications for journalistic practices.

You can access the MediaWise view of the report's implications at
www.presswise.org.uk/display_page.php?id=645

The launch of the forum is one of a series of new activities MediaWise plans to launch this year. "Satisfaction Guaranteed?" the organisation's study of media complaints procedures is due for publication in March and seminars on "Changing the Newsroom Culture" are also planned.

The British National Party held a demonstration today (Monday) outside the NUJ's head office in London. The union has put out the following statement:

The NUJ deplores the demonstration by BNP members outside its office.

The union condemns all attempts by the BNP to harass and intimidate journalists and anybody else. NUJ members are demonstrating against them here today.

The BNP's excuse - that it is protesting at "anti-white bias" in the press - is bogus. Its true aim is to stir up racial tensions. This morning they were demonstrating too outside the Commission for Racial Equality.

The BNP does not believe in free and balanced reporting. The BNP uses physical threats to try and intimidate journalists. They put details of journalists whose coverage they don't like on race-hate websites, to make them targets of attack.

NUJ members in the north of England have passed a dossier to police on these threats. They are just part of a BNP campaign to silence those who do not agree with their vile racist policies.

But there are journalists and newspapers around the country that do investigate and expose the BNP and their lies, and the NUJ applauds and supports them.

The NUJ defends the rights of journalists and stand with others to defend media freedom. The BNP has no respect for media freedom or trade union rights.

We will resist all intimidation by the BNP. It is a fascist party. There is no place for racism and fascism in this country.

Some facts about the BNP

	The BNP'S members' bulletin in January asked its members to collate information on journalists who expose the party.
	There have already been threats on websites run by the neo-Nazi Combat 18 and Blood and Honour groups, and on a site called Redwatch. They have declared "open season" on NUJ members Peter Lazenby and Paul Robinson, who had written unflattering articles about the BNP for the Yorkshire Evening Post. The C18/Blood and Honour site called for Peter Lazenby's home address to be published with the words: "He will go quiet when he realises his family is more important than his politics."
	Pictures of many journalists and photographers who cover anti-racist demonstrations are on the Redwatch site, along with their names.
	The leadership of the BNP has a long history of violence.
	The party's founder John Tindall has convictions for organising a paramilitary organisation and has been photographed wearing Nazi-style uniforms.
	Its leader Nick Griffin has described the holocaust as "latter-day witch-hysteria"
	He has a conviction for "producing material likely to incite racial hatred" under the Public Order Act.
	Tony Lecomber, who also uses the name Tony Wells and calls himself the BNP's "Group Development Officer", was jailed for assault on a Jewish schoolteacher and for possession of explosives. He doesn't stand for election because the BNP don't want this to be exposed. He has called for the compulsory sterilisation for the poor and the sick.
	Richard Edmonds, who spoke at a recent BNP London meeting, has a 1993 conviction for smashing a glass in the face of a man in a mixed-race relationship. And a BNP councillor in Burnley, Luke Smith, had to resign after smashing a glass in a fellow member's face.
	Even the BNP's press officer's name is a lie. He calls himself Phil Edwards but his real name Dr Stuart Russell.

Whether through deliberately spreading lies or simple failure in research, the BNP's "demonstration" against the NUJ is, of course, based on a falsehood that "the media have totally ignored the whole affair, with Gavin's [Hopley's] murder receiving just two articles in the same national daily and a short commentary in the local press in Oldham."

An internet search returned eight BBC articles on the murder of Gavin Hopley and several more in broadsheet newspapers. Additionally, the Asian News reported on the case in detail, describing Gavin Hopley's injuries, how he "was chased and beaten up by a gang of Asian men".

The BNP has falsely attempted to equate the case of Gavin Hopley's murder with that of Stephen Lawrence. While racism was thought to have been a motive in both attacks, in the Gavin Hopley case, the police quickly charged eight men with murder, charges that were later reduced.

Six of the men were convicted for offences in connection with the killing, and another man, who was later acquitted, was charged and tried for murder after two other defendants implicated him.

In contrast, the Metropolitan Police was severely criticised in the report of the MacPherson Inquiry into the Stephen Lawrence case, which found numerous failings including:

	"The investigation was marred by a combination of professional incompetence, institutional racism and a failure of leadership by senior officers."
	"No officers administered first aid to Stephen at the scene of the crime other than checking his pulse and breathing."
	"Liaison with the Lawrences failed from the night of the murder, when they were treated with 'insensitivity and lack of sympathy'."
	The detective who headed the murder hunt for the first three days, "made a 'vital and fundamental' mistake by not moving to arrests the suspects" when "a decision to arrest early would have been justified, given the large number of informants naming the alleged killers. Despite police claims to the contrary 'there was no wall of silence'."

The inaccurate report by Young BNP chairman, Tony Wentworth, also omits to mention that an Asian family took the injured young man into their home to care for him until an ambulance arrived. However, the BNP does note that there were "some Asians" on the jury that acquitted a man charged with the murder.

It has been reported that, in recent years, some BNP members have attempted to join the NUJ. Perhaps they are attracted by our honourable record in promoting the highest professional and ethical standards.

The branch was greatly concerned to note that death threats had been directed against some of our members at the Daily Record and Sunday Mail newspapers. This followed a number of high-profile crime exposés in both papers.

The Scottish Organiser, Paul Holleran, has been in discussions with the chapel, management at the papers and senior Strathclyde Police officers to consider the best way to respond to this and future threats. The branch also fully supports the members.

Ironically, it has been alleged that those making the threats have done so in an attempt to minimise public attention to their activities. However, past experience has shown that attacks on journalists invariably result in heightened and extended scrutiny of all those who may have been involved and their associates.

Following the murder of NUJ member Veronica Guerin in 1996, criminals who had taken great pains to stay out of the public eye became the focus of newspaper and broadcast news stories, major television dramas and at least two Hollywood films. Likewise, the NUJ and individual members have continued to press for prosecutions of those named as having been involved in the murder of Belfast member Marty O'Hagan.

These facts are not coincidental. In the increasingly dangerous world of crime reporting, the risks to journalists are recognised as being very real. Ensuring that national and international attention is drawn to cases of attempts to silence the media is recognised as being an essential response in the defence of journalism.

To that end, the NUJ has joined with the Committee to Protect Journalists and the International Federation of Journalists to ensure that cases of attacks on journalists receive the highest level of attention from governments and the criminal justice systems of the countries concerned.

Indeed, Veronica Guerin's murder was followed by an unprecedented crackdown on organised crime in Ireland, a reaction that the NUJ would be sure to demand of legislative bodies in Scotland and the wider UK, should we ever have to face similar circumstances.

Silence is not an option

Jeremy Dear addressed a packed Glasgow branch meeting on Thursday and told members why he believes the union needs a political campaigns fund.

He also spoke of his aspirations for the NUJ as a campaigning union while fighting for improved pay and conditions and paid tribute to the BBC staff for their stance in defence of the corporation.

A more extensive report on the branch meeting and Jeremy's message to members will follow.

Members at the Daily and Sunday Telegraph have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action over pay.

The secret ballot results released by the Electoral Reform Society on Thursday recorded 120 votes in favour of strike action with only 25 members voting against - a majority of 82.8 per cent. Action short of a strike was endorsed by 127 members.

Boosted by such an emphatic mandate, the NUJ Telegraph chapel is making a final attempt to resolve their pay dispute, calling on the papers' management to go to ACAS.

If no satisfactory agreement can be reached within two weeks, the journalists will serve notice to take strike action. A mandatory meeting on Tuesday, 2nd March would then be followed by two days of what would be the UK’s first national newspaper strike since 1989, when Telegraph journalists struck for 36 hours.

The NUJ has asked for an eight per cent pay rise. It says the claim is justified in the light of current inflation, a pay freeze imposed two years ago and the company's continuing large profits. The company has refused to increase its three per cent offer.

The union gained formal recognition at the papers last year. Since then, the staff's anger has been fuelled both by the management's refusal to negotiate on the claim and by a series of revelations about the huge amounts of money taken out of the company by its owner, Lord Black, partly to help finance his own lavish lifestyle.

NUJ National Papers Organiser, Barry Fitzpatrick, said: "The problem at the Telegraph is that management just won't recognise the reality of the position.

"The NUJ won a ballot for union recognition last year with the support of 92 per cent of the journalists, but they pretend it hasn't happened. They are trying to convince themselves that the dissatisfaction is not a true reflection of the way journalists feel at the paper - but it is."

The Glasgow branch has now published its online resource, aimed at helping members to tackle workplace bullying.

The new “Beat the Bullies”, section which was prepared in association with the Scottish Office, contains advice about what to do if you or your colleagues are being bullied or harassed as well as defining some of the common features and effects of the behaviour.

There is also an extensive list of links to online resources and articles, which may be of use to members dealing with bullying or harassment at work.

Faced with an increasing number of complaints, the NUJ is concentrating a great deal of its resources to the attempt to eradicate bullying and harassment from the workplace both by direct means and by raising awareness of the issues.

It is a fight that the union is determined to win.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender members are invited to complete the Equality Council's survey, contained in the last issues of The Journalist and available online.

The Chair of the Equality Council and Glasgow branch chair, James Doherty, told the branch last month that being able to quantify members who fall into these - or other - categories will be hugely beneficial in devising the Council's strategy for coming years.

The forms can be filled in anonymously and there is provision for taking part in future surveys for those wishing to do so.

The survey form can be downloaded from the NUJ website: http://www.nuj.org.uk/front/inner.php?docid=656

Forms should be returned, addressed to James, c/o NUJ Equality Council, FREEPOST, WC974, London WC1X 8BR.

Colleagues,

It's a big day for the union today.

The NUJ and our sister union, BECTU, are calling on all of us to take part in the two hour action outside BBC buildings. This action is a first step in our campaign to stand up for the BBC's independence and integrity, and to uphold the principle of protection of sources.

Hutton has condemned the BBC's editorial policies. Senior BBC management tell us there will be a review of journalists' guidelines, but it's likely they will try to exclude working journalists from that process.

We must not allow the BBC to be turned into an obsequious, apologetic, over-regulated government mouthpiece.

Today's action is intended to be non-disruptive, so the NUJ is asking that you join the protest outside the Glasgow building in "shifts", that you work out with your immediate colleagues. But do make an effort to come along, if only for a short while.

Support the protest. Let the NUJ's voice be heard.

Thanks
Pete Murray
Deputy FoC, Glasgow Broadcasting

Thursday will see a national day of protest against interference and pressure from politicians in the wake of the Hutton Report.

Organised by the NUJ and BECTU, the Glasgow demonstration will take place from 12pm to 2pm on Thursday, 5th February at Broadcasting House, Queen Margaret Drive, Glasgow.

NUJ General Secretary, Jeremy Dear, said: "The Hutton report poses a real and grave threat to journalism. It will inevitably mean journalists face greater pressure to reveal their sources and will make sources and whistleblowers think twice before coming forward.

"BBC journalists have taken the lead in standing up for journalism. Their magnificent actions last week sent a clear message to the governors and management of the BBC that they must stand up for the BBC's independence, integrity and commitment to quality news and current affairs. It also sent a forceful message to government - hands off the BBC."

Stand up for: BBC Independence - The Integrity of its programmes - Freedom from Government Interference - Transparency in the appointment of a new DG and Chair - No cuts in BBC Licence funding - no "top-slicing".

The unions are calling for a protest, not industrial action and staff in broadcast-critical roles are asked to maintain output.

Members may be interested to note two upcoming media social events, run by NUJ members.

On Monday, Mike Wilson's McMedia hosts its first dinner in Glasgow, at the Centre for Contemporary Arts. The dinner will feature Loaded magazine founding editor, James Brown, as the guest speaker.

McMedia is a dining club for people from all branches of the media, which Mike describes as being "like a club for hacks".

"There's no dress code, no pressure, no small talk. It's a chance for the fractured world of freelancers, shift producers, pressured PROs, etc. to have a drink and a chat and a good meal."

Past guest speakers have included Iain Macwhirter, Matthew Parris, Will Hutton and Lesley Riddoch among numerous figures with Scottish and UK profiles.

There are no membership fees and those interested in a specific speaker can simply book a seat at events on a one-off basis.
For more information on booking tickets for the event, email info@mcmediaclub.com.

About as far removed from a dinner with James Brown as you are likely to get is the Women in Journalism St Valentine's night on Saturday 14th February.

This will be held at 7.30pm in the home of WIJ stalwart Jean Rafferty who promises that the night "will feature drink, food (including heart-shaped canapes!) and possibly a fortune teller, who will tell people about their Sun and Moon signs and what sort of partner they should have".

WIJ is well known for challenging female stereotypes.

The food and drink element will be £10 a head, but arrangements for the fortune teller will depend on expressions of interest, which Jean would like to hear as soon as possible.

Anyone interested should contact Jean at jeanrafferty.fireopal@btopenworld.com or call her on 0141-613-2669.

The NUJ today supported BBC staff demands for their managers to stand up to government.

Anger erupted in newsrooms as Director General, Greg Dyke, resigned and the Board of Governors issued an abject apology to the Government.

General Secretary, Jeremy Dear, was at the Television Centre in West London as some staff walked out in what Dear described as "a spontaneous outburst of anger at government interference in the BBC.

"We don't want this political interference. We want to be able to support managers who are standing up for the BBC's independent journalism. The BBC has a public duty to be independent.

"There was no need for Greg Dyke to resign nor for the unreserved apology. Andrew Gilligan has already apologised for his error and any further statement should have been specific.

"The NUJ supports BBC journalists and we expect its governors to do the same.

"Members are angry about the Hutton report. It was so one-sided that it offended a very basic sense of fairness.

"Hutton's report should be challenged; his attacks on the BBC should be resisted."

"The BBC has promised the NUJ that the union would be fully involved in the review of BBC journalism post-Hutton. We are determined to hold the new BBC leadership to that promise, and that we are determined that all members should be able to contribute to this review."

The NUJ has warned that to blame the BBC and Andrew Gilligan for the trouble his reporting caused the government was "a serious threat to independent journalism".

General Secretary, Jeremy Dear, described Hutton's criticism of Gilligan as "unfounded" and said: "I have spoken to Andrew Gilligan today and I believe the report does him and his story a grave injustice."

"Whatever Lord Hutton may think, it is clear from the evidence he heard that the dossier was 'sexed up', that many in the intelligence services were unhappy about it and that Andrew Gilligan's story was substantially correct.

"From Andrew Gilligan's 19 broadcasts on that first morning, Lord Hutton has taken a single sentence barely noticed at the time and has used it to condemn the entire story.

"He has taken an unwarranted sideswipe at Andrew Gilligan's notetaking, when other reporters recorded David Kelly as saying very similar things.

"The report is selective, grossly one-sided and a serious threat to the future of investigative journalism.

Dear also called on the BBC governors to "stand firm, defend their reporter and the essential truth of their story."

The NUJ yesterday pledged to take "whatever action is necessary" to protect member Andrew Gilligan if he is sacked or disciplined by the BBC.

Anticipating criticism in the leaked Hutton Inquiry report, General Secretary, Jeremy Dear, pledged the NUJ's "complete support" to the Today Programme defence correspondent.

Dear said: "Our reaction would be to immediately back him, to represent him at any subsequent hearings, and to argue with our members that they should take whatever action is necessary to protect his position.

"And this could include industrial action."

"Any investigative journalist performing a public service has to feel that they are being supported. The worst thing that could come out of the Hutton report would be for journalists to become timid in the face of government attempts to manipulate the news agenda."

As predicted, Lord Hutton's report slated Gilligan, and described his allegation on the BBC Today programme that the government probably knew the 45-minute claim to be wrong as "unfounded".

Dear said: "Whatever failings there were in just one of Andrew's reports - and he did no fewer than 19 on that first day alone - there has never been any doubt that his story was in the public interest."

Lord Hutton's report, which exonerated Tony Blair of any wrongdoing, was described by Labour MP Austin Mitchell as using "buckets of whitewash" while the Government's former Communications Director, Alastair Campbell, called for "several resignations at several levels" at the BBC.

Despite NUJ calls for the BBC to "stand firm", the Chairman of the BBC Board of Governors, Gavyn Davies, tendered his resignation following the report but posed several questions: "First, is it clearly possible to reconcile Lord Hutton's bald conclusions on the production of the September 2002 dossier with the balance of evidence that was presented to him during his own inquiry?

"Second, did his verdict on Mr Gilligan's reports take sufficient account of what was said by Dr Kelly on tape to Susan Watts?

"Third, did his criticisms of the BBC take sufficient account of the extenuating circumstances which were created by the public attacks on the BBC during and after the war?

"Finally, are his conclusions on restricting the use of unverifiable sources in British journalism based on sound law and, if applied, would they constitute a threat to the freedom of the press in this country?"

The NUJ has warned that any move to prosecute two TV journalists for refusing to betray confidential sources would be "utterly wrong".

Speaking about the Bloody Sunday Tribunal on Monday, Lord Saville told Channel 4's Alex Thomson and Lena Ferguson (now with BBC Northern Ireland) that he was still considering proceedings against them for refusing to disclose the identities of former soldiers they interviewed for a key documentary programme.

But NUJ National Broadcasting Organiser, Paul McLaughlin, leapt to the journalists' defence saying: "The Saville Inquiry is only taking place because more information has come to light over the years about what happened on Bloody Sunday.

"Alex Thomson and Lena Ferguson's C4 programme, airing the anonymous evidence of former Paratroop Regiment solders, was the single most important contribution to that process. They have done their bit towards bringing vital information into the public domain.

"Any decision to summons them for contempt would be utterly wrong.

"If the soldiers had thought their identities would have been disclosed, they would never have spoken to the Channel 4 team and the Inquiry would not have had the vital information they were able to give anonymously."

Barclays' management a threat to telegraph titles

Journalists on the Daily and Sunday Telegraph are to vote on strike action over pay, as the future of the company hangs by a thread.

At a meeting of more than 100 journalists, NUJ members voted overwhelmingly to reject a three per cent increase. Following two years of pay freezes, journalists are asking for a rise of eight per cent.

Voting in the ballot, which was endorsed by the NUJ National Executive Council on Saturday, will begin on 27th January and end on 10th February.

NUJ National Newspaper Organiser, Barry Fitzpatrick, said: "This company imposed a pay freeze despite very high profitability, making nearly £40 million a year and it's realistic to expect an agreement well above inflation."

The action comes as the group is set to be taken over following the downfall of its proprietor, Lord Black. And today the NUJ warned that the future of the titles will be jeopardised if the Barclay twins succeed in their plan to put the former Sunday Times editor, Andrew Neil, in charge of the papers.

Fitzpatrick said that Neil, the editor-in-chief of the Barclays' media holdings, has an appalling record in terms of both staff relations and commercial success.

Neil's stewardship of the Scotsman, has been marked by sliding sales, management bullying and a string of short-lived editorships.

Fitzpatrick said: "We are not impressed by Andrew Neil. His track record of cost-cutting and failing to bring staff with him does not bode well for future relationships."

Please take just a few seconds of your time to support fellow NUJ members working for regional newspaper group Newsquest.

For some months they have been campaigning against poverty pay at the company.

Newsquest and their parent company, Gannett made more than $1 billion last financial year and executives enjoyed a 43 per cent pay rise yet virtually every single journalist earns less than the national average non-manual wage.

Many earn just £12,000 a year despite having to live in some of the most expensive areas of the country and the company imposed below-inflation pay rises on many journalists.

We are campaigning for fair pay - for professional pay for professional people.

We are asking for a minimum qualified rate of £20,000 by 1 July 2005. Please support our campaign by forwarding the message below to Paul Davidson at London Newsquest adding your name at the bottom.

Thank you.

Jeremy Dear

To: pdavidson@london.newsquest.co.uk

Message of support

Dear Paul,

I am writing to express my support for the NUJ's Fair Pay Now campaign. Your journalists do a professional job and make a significant contribution to making Newsquest a profitable and successful company.

I believe they deserve to share in that success and urge you to take urgent action to address low pay in your local newspapers.

Limited places are still available on the NUJ Basic Newspaper Text Handling (Subbing) course.

The course will run from 6pm to 9pm on ten consecutive Tuesdays, starting on 20th January.

Venue:
College of Building and Printing
60 North Hanover Street, Glasgow

Course fee: £100

Please apply to Alice McCarney by telephone on 0141 248 6648/7748
or email: alicem@nuj.org.uk.

The 2003 ADM agreed that we should conduct a consultation on all aspects of how we organise our annual delegate meeting. I am firmly of the belief that the annual nature of our conference must be protected as it is the members' opportunity to examine the union's work and to hold elected representatives to account. But it would be foolish to ignore that some areas require examination and possible change.

In the past our consultations have consisted of a branch and chapel circular asking for views and comments and, in general, the response has been poor. This time we have compiled a questionnaire, which we think covers most aspects of ADM .

We hope that the questions will raise debate but in order not to limit the review we have left space for alternative comments and suggestions. The survey is being sent to all sections of the union and I hope that as many branches, chapels, councils and individual members will complete and return the form.

It is clear that a genuine, extensive and thorough review will take time since some union bodies may wish to hold special meetings or think through the issues raised over several meetings.

The results of the survey will not, therefore, be ready in time for tabling bodies to table motions on the issues involved for the forthcoming ADM.

We will, however, publish the results of the survey in time for ADM 2004 so that we may continue the consultation procedure via a special meeting at ADM (outside conference hours) to hear the views of delegates.

Following ADM we will circulate a further document outlining all the views expressed so that the union can take these into account when tabling motions for ADM 2005.

Following recent technical difficulties, it is believed that the NUJ's email problems have now been resolved. However, it would be wise to continue to follow up on any important communications emailed to the office until further notice.

Scottish Office

Tel: 0141 248 6648
Fax: 0141 248 7748

Emails sent to an address ending in nuj.org.uk between 24th and 30th December 2003 will not have been received and should be resent.

Union members will be notified as soon as the system is back on-line. Please consult the national NUJ website for further updates.