15/07/10 14:30
The National Union of journalists has stepped up its campaign to recruit journalists working for Dundee-based newspaper and magazine publishers D C Thomson, with a strategically parked advertising van promoting the union’s services.
Pics by Euan Williamson – Secretary of NUJ Dundee www.nujdundee.co.uk
It is the latest stage in the NUJ’s drive to highlight the benefits of union membership to employees of a company previously renowned for its anti-union stance. The advertising trailer with the NUJ message emblazoned across it, has visited the publisher's city centre HQ in Dundee before parking opposite company premises at Kingsway East, Dundee and at the exit to the staff car park.
The NUJ is also staging a series of meetings for Sunday Post
journalists in Glasgow and is in Dundee regularly to meet with
members and represent them on an individual basis at meetings with
management.
NUJ membership among D C Thomson editorial staff has increased
dramatically since the company revealed proposals to increase working
hours, impose a wage freeze and red-circle pay for three years before
imposing a pay cut for over 20 per cent of the workforce. D C Thomson employs a total of around 2,000 in its newspaper and
magazine publishing empire, which includes the Dundee Courier,
Evening Telegraph, Sunday Post, The Beano, the Dandy, People’s
Friend, Scot Magazine, and many more children's comics and
magazines. Characters such as The Broons, Oor Wullie, Desperate Dan
and Minnie the Minx, are immediately linked with the company. It
also owns Aberdeen Journals, publisher of the Press and Journal and
Evening Express.
While the NUJ is not formally recognised by D C Thomson, an important milestone was made recently when the union’s Scottish organiser, Paul Holleran, was allowed in to represent an NUJ member at a meeting with management. Since then, NUJ officials have represented a number of members on an individual basis at grievance, disciplinary and appeal hearings before management.
Paul Holleran said ‘This has led to other journalists joining. Membership among D C Thomson editorial staff has increased
dramatically in recent months. As a result, we have been holding a
series of NUJ branch meetings in Dundee, especially for D C Thomson
employees, and are arranging similar meetings in Glasgow for Sunday |
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Already, the website launched by the Dundee branch (www.nujdundee.co.uk) is receiving over 130 hits a day, and notched over 4,000 hits during the month of June.
Paul Holleran added: 'It may be a mere coincidence that the increase in membership is connected with the arrival of Donald Martin as editor of the Sunday Post. Then again, it may not.
'Whatever the reason, journalists should be fully aware that it is more important than ever to belong to a trade union. That need will continue to increase as cutbacks in pay, conditions and the numbers of journalists continue at an unprecedented rate.'
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