from the National Union of Journalists. The owners of the Guardian - Britain's most liberal newspaper - are attacking the working conditions of their journalists in the northern city of Manchester. Please read on for the full story and how you can help...
M.E.N. JOURNALISTS ARE REVOLTING…
Well over half of the journalists at the Manchester Evening News have submitted official individual grievances because of the paper's plans to launch a morning edition.
Management want to produce the new breakfast-time paper with no extra staff or resources.
NUJ members feel their contracts are being breached by having to work new shift patterns and more anti-social shifts, by being given extra responsibilities, and by facing the prospect of shifts without the breaks required under the Working Time Regulations.
There could now be well over 50 individual grievance hearings and the same number of appeals.
The Manchester Evening News, part of Guardian Media, is owned by the Scott Trust which is supposed to uphold liberal traditions.
HOW YOU CAN HELP…
Please email protests to Alan Rusbridger, the editor of the Guardian and a member of the Scott Trust. Ask him why a supposedly liberal organisation is forcing its journalists to work harder and do more anti-social hours without any extra payment or support. He’s on alan.rusbridger@guardian.co.uk
Send a message of support to the aggrieved journalists' mother of chapel Judy Gordon on judy.gordon@men-news.co.uk
...Pass this message on to anyone who may be interested.
IS IT REALLY WORTH SENDING A MESSAGE…
At the beginning of July NUJ assistant organiser Jenny Lennox answered a plea to support a union rep in a New Zealand casino, who was sacked by his employer.
Jenny has since heard that after 1178 protest messages were sent to the casino’s management Andrew Bolesworth was reinstated!
Reinstatement - something that tribunals in this country can't enforce - achieved by a global act of solidarity.
So when we ask you to send a letter or email please try to find time to do it. Your five minutes of effort could make the difference.
FOR MORE INFO…
Miles Barter
NUJ regional organiser
2 Sep 04
