January Branch Meeting
THURSDAY 24 JANUARY 2008: Alterego Bar, 77 Whiteladies Road, Bristol, BS8 2NTZ;
6.30pm for a 7pm start.
Hello to all our members,
Our next NUJ Bristol Branch Meeting is on Thursday 24 January 2008, from 6.30pm for a 7pm start. We are having the meeting at Alterego Bar, 77 Whiteladies Road, Bristol, BS8 2NT, which is close to the BBC on Whiteladies Road up towards Clifton Down Shopping Centre. We have booked the upstairs area.
NUJ Annual Delegate Meeting 2008
On the agenda will be motions and amendments to this year’s Annual Delegate Meeting (ADM) held in Belfast this April. This is where delegates from Branches across the union vote on issues of NUJ policy. The outcome of these votes determines what the NUJ does and does not do in many areas of the union’s business and campaigning on behalf of members.
Redundancies in the media industry have led to a small decrease in the NUJ’s membership numbers and contributed to a shortfall in members’ subscriptions, the NUJ’s main income. Additionally the NUJ’s own staff pension fund is in deficit. Because of this and rising costs there are some cost-cutting motions at this years ADM.
There is a motion to cut the number of Branch delegates at future ADMs. For example Bristol Branch would be reduced from our current 3 delegates to 2 delegates under this proposal. There is also a motion that all Retired and Life Members of the NUJ should from now on pay a £25 per year subscription. The number of seats on the NUJ’s National Executive Council may also be limited. There have already been cuts in some NUJ budgets this financial year. Bristol Branch has 6 motions in the preliminary agenda, some of which need amendments. These are on the NUJ’s Pensioners, the media situation in Pakistan, support for Polish trade unions, Associated Newspapers and Northcliffe, Freelance Fees, and Equal Pay for Women.
The ADM Preliminary Agenda is now available online at: http://www.nuj.org.uk/innerPagenuj.html?ac=1&docid=170
Please take a look through for any motions you are interested in, feel strongly for or against, and come and discuss them at the Branch meeting. Topics include: NUJ internal organisation, Ethics, Government Policies, International Issues, Wages Payments and Conditions, Media Freedom, Copyright, Broadcasting, Equality and Training.
Other issues on the Bristol Branch meeting agenda will include:
Our own Branch financial matters correspondence and reports, New Members, Branch Officer vacancies, Campaigns including Save ITV News and Fight For Your BBC, and other issues from our Chapels and Freelance members.
The NUJ needs your input as members to work democratically and respond to your needs. So please come along and share your concerns and ideas.
We look forward to seeing you on Thursday 24 January. You’ll be very welcome.