Broadcasting

STV pay talks have ground to a halt while NUJ and BECTU members take part in a consultative ballot on a 3% increase plus a number of individual anomalies.

The campaign for Public Service Broadcasting is stepping up activities following the launch of the OFCOM 3 paper. Meetings have taken place with a range of politicians with a view to protecting jobs and quality news and current affairs programmes and regional identity.

Daily Newspapers

Negotiations started with the Daily Record and Sunday Mail Management on pay with an offer of 2.5%. Two chapel meetings have rejected the offer, which includes an increase in casual shift rates and a transparent pay structure for trainees. A further meeting with management is expected this week (February 14).

Pay talks are progressing at Newsquest with the prospects of a one-year deal on the table worth 3% pa. This would include new starting rates as well as an agreed trainee rate. Talks have also progressed on the introduction of dignity at work and family friendly type policies negotiations continue on improved conditions and staffing levels. Progress has been made in some areas with additional staff agreed in The Herald and improvements in conditions in other titles. A problem has arisen though with the company attempting to impose a pay freeze for a number of NUJ members in the IT staff. A grievance is being submitted this week. A spate of health problems have affected members working in the Evening Times, similar to the outbreak of respiratory illnesses experienced in The Sunday Mail recently. The union has asked for a similar investigation.

The Daily Express (Scotland) Chapel has elected two new officers and hope to have some impact in the current national pay talks.

The Scotsman Publications Group Chapel have submitted a pay claim and talks should start soon.

Weekly Newspapers

Clyde & Forth management has agreed to work with the union in establishing a fair way of progressing members pay. A new appraisal system is being introduced along with additional support provided for members sitting the NCE (Proficiency test). However problems have arisen over management interpretation of the house agreement, covering photographers, a grievance has been submitted. Greenock Telegraph - have submitted a pay claim and talks should start soon.

Recruitment at Archant (CML-Eastern Counties) has increased dramatically leading to a recognition claim to management.

Pay talks between the Johnston Group Chapel (central belt and Fife) and management have started. Recognition talks could be back on at Borders Weeklies, after the company were swallowed up by Clyde & Forth in a takeover, which took many people by surprise. A 3% pay increase was agreed for editorial staff and talks are expected on a new agreement soon.

Scottish Provincial Press group chapel met to discuss the future pay negotiations and hope to set up a more formal structure before the end of the year. The company has also backed a bid by the NUJ Scottish training office for funding through the Highlands and Islands Enterprise Board. The managing editor has agreed to look at the training needs of all editorial staff and work with the NUJ in delivering what is required.

Books and Magazines

The Big Issue has run into financial difficulties and management are seeking redundancies in their Scottish office. The union is currently negotiating over the terms and numbers.

The chapel at Harper Collins has asked the NUJ Scottish office to challenge what they see as dis-investment in Glasgow following a decision to transfer work to London with the loss of a senior editor post in Glasgow. The chapel are also seeking to introduce the NUJ Dignity At Work policy, following a recurrence of bullying in editorial departments. Pay talks are continuing.

Following successful recognition talks the chapel at Scottish Licensed News are pursuing a fairer pay structure and improved training. Union organisers have now held a series of meetings with management and progress is taking place with the union providing training in the new Indesign system.

PR

A possible unfair dismissal case might be embarrassing for one MSP after she made a member redundant and the union has taken up a grievance complaining about the lack of procedures used. A spate of grievances in Scottish charities has kept officials busy in the last month. One member resigned after being refused the right to a grievance, following her complaint about an away day, bonding event which staff had to fork out for. A senior PRO with the Food Standards Agency is progressing through the civil service grievance and appeals procedures after losing his job. Recruitment continues at the Scottish Parliament and a training programme for MSPs researchers and PROs organised by the Assistant Organiser is leading to increased interest and recruitment. A media awareness training programme for PR/civil servants has also been introduced.

We are preparing to launch our formal campaign for salaries of party and parliamentary staff to be paid direct by parliament, removing the onus of paying for staff from MSPs through allowances.

Freelance

The West of Scotland Freelance Branch officers have held a series of meetings with the Scottish Organiser to develop a campaign for a freelance charter. This would entail policy positions on rates, payment times, moral rights, advertorials, principles on commissioning among others. Initially a claim for a new freelance agreement with Newsquest would be submitted in November as part of the staff negotiations. Included in those talks would be the issues raised under the charter discussions.

Freelances in the Highlands and particularly Inverness celebrated the first increase for 12 years in photographic rates at Scottish Provincial Press. The increases range from 50-20% while others receive an increase in travel expenses. This follows an earlier increase in shift rates for freelance reporters and subs as part of the house agreement.

A small claims/debt recovery service run by one of our members, in conjunction with the Scottish office, is successfully pulling in money for our members. One case worth over £2K had been outstanding for three years, after the publisher went missing, was settled at the end of August. A case where trannies had gone missing during the Evening Times move from Albion Street has reached a £1000 settlement.

The NUJ Scottish office achieved a favourable settlement for a freelance PRO against Dunbartonshire Enterprise, at a preliminary tribunal the lawyers once again said we would not win. Now a Court of Session hearing is planned for this month, which could have far ranging implications for companies and organisations trying to sack regular freelances, particularly in local government and further education.

Training

The NUJ Scottish Office Training have been successful in the European bid through Highlands and Islands Partnership which will help develop the online training project over the next 2 years.