(DRAFT)
The union’s Delegate Meeting (DM 2012) will take place from Friday 5 until Sunday 7 October 2012 in Newcastle.
This is a reaction to the final agenda PDF
Thinking about the NUJ delegate meeting. We all agree we need a union, but it isn’t obvious what is its role, used to be about negotiating with the bosses, but now we are all our own bosses so a bit schizophrenic to be negotiating with our selves. Were are we now?
The digital age is in transition. Many in the new media are working for nothing, for nothing, where we should work for nothing for something. What is the something we should be working for? To repeat as the majority of people in the media (for a while) will be paid nothing would be good if they were working for something to help them be paid something in future.
Over all I feel this DM is full of graysky solutions to the need for blue sky thinking – but better something now than pie in the sky maybe (;
1) performance related pay
* (graysky thinking) this is an attempt to keep “strong connections’ between worker and employer, these are appropriate during the analogue age – were movement was limited and control was strong. In the digital age it is potently the opposite, movement liberated and control limited. We are replacing strong connections with weak connections. But this frees us up to be exploited as much as it frees us up to do what we wont… so think this is needed but shouldn’t be used as an attempt to get back into the trenches.
2) fair pensions
* (graysky thinking) are a way of forcing good action on people and rely on a strong state… do we have a strong state, will we have a strong state – if we don’t/won’t we should re-think this. What dose the world look like with out a strong state?
3) part timers redundancy
* good background action, increasing the cost of redundancy.
4) redress for young journalist in unpaid intern-ships
* trying to use the inertia of the 20th century to shape the 21st century is usefull but not forwarded thinking.
5) unpaid contributors
* 20th century from amateur to professional, 21st century from professional to amateur, general knowledge industry’s are increasingly becoming amateur agen. Forward thinking?
“A positive future for media sees a wholesale de-professionalism of media production and distribution, the numbers of full time paid media producers will fall by a factor of 100, that is for ever person paid to produce, distribute media in the turn of the century only 1 in 100 will be paid to do it in the positive view of the future of media. The logical transition of digitisation will being a shift from a small elite (paid) minority to a large amorphous (unpaid) majority.”
6) introduction of a levy system
* interesting (but old) idea, but can lead to new inefficient bureaucracy, has this worked in the 20th century? needs more research and blue sky thinking.
7) Copyright enforcement
* the spirit of this is “correct” the SOC amendment moves it into the irreverent, this is the big debate which will not happen.
8) moral rights
* fighting against bad contracts is a good thing to do. But the Q is what are “moral rights” in the age of re-mix?
10) privatisation of the assessment of the impact of government proposals
* in general I agree, but feel the current consensus of what needs to be done in the union would lead to the funding being miss-spent? Ideas?
11) opening up academic publishing, while protecting copy editors jobs/role.
* opening is essential, how to fund is a core question.
12) same as 11
13) freelance guide
* good plan, and outreach to wider “amateur content publishers”
14) platform neutral strategy
* working out new working relationships, should be seen for what it is, trying not to hold onto the old when it is blocking is a balance to this…
16) assault by media bosses on jobs and pensions
* fighting against change needs to be balanced with fighting for the better new.
17/18) pay freeze at newsquest
* fighting a rearguard action against profiteering is good but should not be used as an excuse not to ingade with building the new.
22) regional newspapers
* this is very muddled thinking, this is a question of the value of local brands and community traditions – and the lack of value the market places on them.
21) community interest companies
* more to co-operatives? This is a question of new business models?
24) assets of community value
* why not – what are the pro’s and cons?
25) same as 24
26) Future of media in Scotland
* why not, IF the remit is wide anufe.
28) BBC
* The sacred cow of the BBC… and the question of a licence to view news?
30) commercialisation of BBC
* the culling of the sacred cow by 1000 cuts…
31) ITV and regional news
* the motion is a please be nice to use statement – the amendment has teeth.
33) Scotland and STV training
* what are they training them – if its 20th century this is a wasted opportunity.
34) replacing the government
* good rabble rousing stuff (:
36) pickles code
* this is full of contradictions… bureaucracy central media or decentralised citizen media? The union will support the bureaucracy but should we is a real question?
38) convention of human rights
* go for it, a diversity of strategy is a good thing.
40) black workers equality
* OK
41) defend the right to protest
* yep, give um the money?
43) regional pay
OK
44/45) democratise remuneration commits
YEP
46/48) healthcare?
????
49) paid lobbying
OK
20) digital transition (:
* very good and needed – BUT have a strong feeling the people who are pushing this might not be the people who would lead to a useful outcome – need to know more to always this worry.
72) bring diversity into the union
* its what its about – but who is pushing this?
50) internal politics?
* Need to know more
51) equality and women representation in the union
* YEP
53) to much paperwork?
* Need to know more?
55) photographers representation with in the union
interesting – but photograph as a proffeern is being pushed out of paid work and is likely to be pushed further… need to know for what resion this is being pushed? What outcome?
58/63) ageism
* internal politics? Need to know more
60) ageism
* sounds good, what is the outcome?
65) dead members rights
* interesting, needs clearer proposals
66) internal politics
* maybe, need to know more.
67/68) virtual meetings
* Think this should be rolled out rather than imposed, bring the virtual INTO the physical… see how this works and only then replace if appropriate.
69/88) internal politics
*
71) electing executive positions
* yep
73/74/77/78/79/80) increase union fees
* need to know more about the options
81) treat unemployed members better?
* need more information
82) using union company’s to travel
* OK need back ground why this is an issue
83) get shares in media company’s to course trouble (:
* like the plan.
84/86/87) longer gap between DM (conference)
* physical meet-ups are good, this is the first one I have been to so will update this.
89) widen membership
* need to know how members feel about this (will update)
90/92) defining membership, kids care or age
* needs thought
95) refuges as members
* seams reasonable?
97) student members not studying journalism can be members
* OK
98) joint union membership
* OK
99) make joining the union easer
* online should be sought
103) training
* this one is vague, glad its put aside?
105) representatives training
* yes…
106/107) expanding the journalist magazine
* depends on what the space is for?
109/110) leveson enquiry
more…
