The NUJ is a democratic and campaigning union and strives to represent all sectors of the industry. One way members can get involved in the union is by volunteering to stand for election. A variety of seats on NUJ councils are currently available and open to election. The councils form the basis of the democratic decision-making structures of the NUJ.

 

There are vacancies on the Ethics Council, Broadcasting Industrial Council, Continental Europe Council, Freelance Industrial Council, Magazine and Book Industrial Council, New Media Industrial Council, Newspapers and Agencies Industrial Council, Photographers' Council, Public Relations and Communication Council, Scottish Executive Council and the Welsh Executive Council. The deadline for nominations for these councils is 17.00 on Friday 14 June and you can find out more about these elections on the NUJ website.

 

Nominations are now also open for the Irish Executive Council, which is due to take office in November 2013. The incoming council will be elected under Rule 14 and there are 4 broadcasting seats, 4 freelance seats, 1 magazine and book seat, 4 national newspapers and agencies seats, 1 PR and information seat, 4 provincial newspapers seats and 1 reserved seat for Northern Ireland. Nominations are also sought for 1 observer from the New Media Sector for the IEC and each branch may also nominate for the Black member's seat. Nominations for the IEC must reach the Dublin office by 17.00 on Friday 19 July.

 

Each candidate/nominee needs to be chosen at a properly constituted NUJ Branch meeting and the candidate needs to be willing to accept the nomination and sign a nomination form.

 

NUJ upcoming branch meetings include the London Freelance Branch meeting on Monday 13 May at 19.00 and the Bristol branch meeting on Tuesday 14 May at 19.00.

 

You can find out who your current NEC and branch reps are by viewing the updated contact details on the NUJ website. Contact your NEC representative and contact your local branch representatives (contact details website links will take you to the members-only area of the NUJ website).

 

Can you spare time to greet shareholders of Trinity Mirror next week? The NUJ wants to take its message directly to the directors at this year's company Annual General Meeting from 11.00 on Thursday 16 May in London. If you can join us on the day, please email Chris Morley at chrism@nuj.org.uk

 

As ever more local newspapers close and titles merge, more and more communities are left without a local media outlet, feeding a sense that local media is undergoing a slow but inevitable death. But there are examples that tell a different story, in which local media still has a place and good journalism can still be funded. In this story, viability is based on the needs of a community for news - not the needs of the balance sheet of a paper's ownership group. The NUJ, Co-operatives UK and Carnegie UK Trust have joined together to organise a series of meetings across the UK to analyse the issues and showcase alternatives to decline. The campaign to save local news kicks off on Monday 3 June at 18.00 at NUJ Headland House in London and will be followed by public meetings around the UK. For more information and to book a place please visit the make your local news work website.

 

Journalists who want to work for freer and more diverse media have the chance to sign up to a Europe-wide petition asking the EU to legislate against the concentration of ownership and control in the hands of too few companies. The European Initiative on Media Plurality has been launched in the UK and needs to attract over a million signatures across Europe. If it achieves that, the EU commission must discuss issuing a directive to ensure that commercial media in every state must be widely owned to ensure their independence from both the state and the influence of powerful corporate owners. Please sign the petition today.

 

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) Congress will take place in Dublin in June and is being hosted by the NUJ. The congress will provide a space for a photo exhibition about gender. This will be a digital exhibition display on a screen in the congress venue and on the congress website. The IFJ are looking for photographs portraying gender equality, unions and gender equality, journalism and gender equality, with a specific focus on photographs taken by female photographers.

 

Please get in touch with the IFJ if you want to contribute to the exhibition, email pamela.moriniere@ifj.org

 

More reporters are currently imprisoned in Turkey than in any other country in the world. Only a matter of weeks ago lawyers failed to persuade a Turkish court to release a 76-year-old journalist from a Turkish internet news station. Listen to the latest Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom podcast - Nicholas Jones talks to Barry White, National Organiser for the CPBF and the TUC's Sam Bamford about the importance of campaigning for international press freedom. Listen to the podcast via the CPBF website.

 

The TUC have organised a project on older women in the workplace which is called Age Immaterial. As part of this campaign, they are working with Grandparents Plus to gather information about the particular pressures facing grandparents who are juggling caring for grandchildren (and possibly other relatives/partner as well) with work. With the help of Grandparents Plus, the TUC are organising focus groups for parents and grandparents of children under 5 in Manchester and London. The London focus groups will take place at TUC congress house on 15/16 May (evening) and the Manchester focus groups will take place on 22/23 May (lunchtime).

 

If you would like to take part please contact Agnes Gautier on 020 8981 8001 or email agnes.gautier@grandparentsplus.org.uk

 

Anti-Homophobia week starts on Monday 13 May and runs until 17 May. Friday 17 May has been designated International Day of Action against Homophobia and the ICTU LGBT committee is asking trade union members to wear purple ribbons or something purple into work on the day. For more information please visit the campaign website.

 

In the UK, and across Europe we all paid to bail out the banks and millions of us are still feeling the pain. The proposals for financial transaction taxes are a small but significant step towards ensuring the banks begin to pay their fair share. George Osborne has resorted to a desperate legal challenge to try and block EU countries from introducing their own transaction taxes. Support the Robin Hood tax campaign and tell Osborne to drop the legal challenge now. Sign the petition today.

 

The Centre for Investigative Journalism has organised a summer school offering over 60 talks, workshops and lectures with plenty of networking opportunities. The 2013 summer school will focus on high risk investigations: taking on greedy corporations, secretive governments, cheats, criminals and predatory celebrities. It will also focus on internet security and surveillance - with practical advice for journalists. For more information about the event visit the centre's website.

 

The Federation of Entertainment Unions (FEU) has organised two training events in June. Linking In and Meeting Up will take place on Thursday 6 June in London and is aimed at creating a good impression in the digital world, raising your profile and marketing your work successfully. The second course available is You're Hired! on Friday 7 June. The course is focused on how to present yourself to get new work with effective interview and presentation skills. For more information please visit the FEU website.

 

Read the latest edition of EFJ focus, the European Federation of Journalists newsletter.

 

A London save our NHS demonstration has been called by a coalition of London residents, medical staff, trade unions and health campaigners who have come together to raise the alarm regarding the biggest threats to A&E’s, maternity units and in-hospital care for a generation. The event takes place on Saturday 18 May and for more information please visit the campaign website.

 

To submit items for NUJ Active, please email campaigns@nuj.org.uk

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