EC Meeting March 2017

Reduced staffing levels have not been accompanied by a reduction in work, and

(4) unacceptable workloads and stress for those remaining has reached disturbing levels. The lack of resources also means readers are being shortchanged and once bread-and-butter functions of local newspapers – such as covering council meetings and courts – are being jettisoned because reporters are so thin on the ground. (5) Conference notes the efforts of the NUJ in defending jobs and standing up for quality journalism – a vital part of local democracy, holding politicians and businesses to account and providing vital information as well as entertainment. (6) Conference therefore calls on the GFTU to campaign vigorously to protect local and regional journalism, and for changes that will allow greater plurality of ownership and better standards of journalism. (7) Conference further supports calls for a government-commissioned inquiry into the crisis, which will look at new models of ownership and allow newspapers to be protected with community asset status, which will limit owners’ ability to close publications overnight and allow more time for consultation on their future. (1) SUE Executive committee reaffirms the importance and value to our members of GTFU affiliation. In particular we commend the education courses through which many of our members have gained new skills and experience. (2) SUE wish to support the future expansion of GFTU affiliates and encourage those non affiliated unions to join. In particular we feel that affiliation is of significant value to those smaller organisation like ourselves, who whilst modest in membership number are mighty in terms of the impact we have at the workplace on behalf of members. (3) As part of efforts from GFTU to attract other affiliates it is important that their voices are heard and are properly represented on the GFTU executive committee. We therefore call for the GFTU to bring forward a rule change that would facilitate smaller organisations being represented on the GFTU executive and urge affiliates to support such a rule change should it be tabled. Resolution 12 Representation on GFTU Executive Committee

Resolution 13

Data Collection T&C’s

(1) Conference notes at present employees working for Trade Unions are often represented by other trade Unions who in the outside world are competitors to the employer, or are offered in house ‘federations to ‘represent’ their interests’. Trade Unions as employers are notoriously shy in publishing details of terms and Conditions offered to their staffs.

(2) For the reasons above Conference agrees to instruct the incoming GFTU Executive to set up a database of terms and conditions of workers who are employed by Trade

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