Author: Donnacha DeLong

Originally from Dublin, Ireland, Donnacha DeLong is an NUJ activist, journalist and online communications consultant with more than 20 years' professional experience.

Draft DM motion: Al-Araby

October 31, 2017

The following is a draft motion to be considered at our next meeting on 31 October.

This DM notes that Al-Araby TV has dismissed two NUJ M/FoCs, has done everything it can to stop NUJ recognition, refused to involve the unions in redundancy talks and, instead, asked staff to elect representatives to take part in the talks. NUJ members who were elected became subject to victimisation and intimidation.

The company is based in London, but is funded by Qatar, which presents itself as a guard of rights and freedom in the Middle East. Qatar received wide support from The NUJ when its rival four Arab countries pressurised Doha to close down Al-Jazeera and other outlets, including Al-Araby TV.

The DM deplores victimising of NUJ reps and members and calls on the company and Qatar to allow freedom of joining the unions and pledges to take all actions to protect the members.

Proposed by Ahmed Elsheikh

Draft DM Motion: New media industry

October 27, 2017

The following is a draft motion to be considered at our next meeting on 31 October.

This DM condemns the dismissive attitude of Vice to the NUJ members’ call for voluntary recognition in 2016. DM welcomes the decision by the CAC to accept the NUJ’s application for formal recognition at Buzzfeed.

DM notes the claims by Vice EMEA chief executive, Matt Elek, that the NUJ “are not used to innovative, digital workplaces….”

DM rejects this assertion. However, DM believes we could do more publicising our 20-plus years of organising in digital departments of media companies such as the Guardian, BBC, RTÉ and the Irish Times.

DM welcomes the return to the Online Media Awards in 2017, which helps to identify the NUJ with the sector.

DM instructs the NEC to work with the New media industrial council to organise events in 2018 to highlight the NUJ’s history organising new media workers. DM further instructs the NEC to investigate whether the union can play a greater part in industry events such as award ceremonies and conferences.

Proposed by Donnacha DeLong.

Draft DM Motion: Mutual respect

October 27, 2017

The following is a draft motion to be considered at our next meeting on 31 October.

This DM notes that many journalists now working for new media outlets previous worked in areas of the media with NUJ organisations. DM regrets that few were recruited at that time.

DM believes that it’s essential the union recruits young journalists at the start of the careers, when they can be supported and mentored by more experienced NUJ members.

However, DM notes that some members have continued to have a dismissive attitude towards young journalists, in particular those working online, that alienates young journalists and makes it more difficult to recruit them.

DM believes that, when campaigning against churnalism, clickbait, targets and other issues that impact on journalistic quality, members should be very careful not to blame the young journalists who have no option but to do the work assigned to them. DM notes that those young journalists are often overworked and underpaid and need the support of the union.

DM instruct the NEC to work with workplace reps to ensure that, when campaigning against management decisions that reduce journalistic quality, they focus on recruiting young journalists instead of criticising them.

Proposed by Donnacha DeLong

Draft DM motion: Recruitment

October 27, 2017

The following is a draft motion to be considered at our next meeting on 31 October.

This DM welcomes the increasing membership in the new media and independent broadcasting sectors. DM notes that much of this is coming from members in different sectors and workplaces encouraging their friends and contacts to join.

However, DM recognises that, too often, members focus on recruiting in their own sectors, even though, in their professional lives, they regularly engage with potential members in other sectors. For example, newspaper journalists are regularly in touch with commercial PRs.

DM instructs the NEC to encourage a One Union approach to recruitment across sectors and to produce guidance for members on how best to recruit across sectors.

Proposed by Donnacha DeLong

Draft DM motion: Membership

October 27, 2017

The following is a draft motion to be considered at our next meeting on 31 October.

DM notes that as technological developments reshape the media and reduce the need for technical workers, the union’s membership restrictions limit potential recruitment and our industrial strength.

DM believes that the rules can create unnecessary divisions in the workplace whereby, for example, support or technical staff must join another union or remain unrepresented. DM notes that, in many of our workplaces, no other union has sought to recruit non-journalistic workers.

This DM believes that the NUJ should become the union for mediaworkers and open membership up to all those working in the media who wish to join.

DM therefore instructs the NEC to amend the rules to give effect to the principle that anyone working for a media company or in the media departments of other companies should qualify for membership, regardless of their role.

DM instructs the NEC to seek to ensure that these changes do not impact on existing agreements with other unions in some workplaces and not to seek to recruit members of other unions.

Proposed by Donnacha DeLong