National Union of Journalists: Low pay campaign

This page indexes information on some of the disputes that NUJ members are involved in - especially those over ridiculously low pay in local & regional media. For other details, see www.nuj.org.uk

See www.nuj.org.uk for recent updates

Past disputes

Pay battle moves to S Yorks strike 12-18-19/07/06

Freelances to support Indy NUJ chapel action on Budget Day 22/03/2006

Radio freelances 'strike' 01/12/2005

Bristol resists job cuts

They're back South London Guardian & Coventry return

South London Guardian on strike

Coventry journalists' action bites

Coventry strikers step up action

Express journalists in talks 08/04/05

North London on strike 05/01/05, 10-12/01/05

Coventry not out offer accepted 06/07/04

Blackpool on strike 13 June - settled

Angry Haringey PRs locked out - in talks over redundo 10/06/04

NUJ members in Belfast strike 05/05/2004

EMAP Healthcare settles with promise of talks

NewsQuest Bradford & Lancs

Dispute at Macmillan books, Oxford 15/08/2003

Rotherham in dispute 06/09/02

EMAP Healthcare August 2002: won 06/09/02

Newcastle Chronicle & Journal back to the table 23/08/2002

Independent June-July 2002: won

Spalding Guardian (Johnston Press) June-July 2002: won

Herts & Essex Newspapers settled before a strike

Greater Manchester Weekly Newspapers Apr 2002: won

Wakefield RIM Mar 2002: settled before the strike

Newsquest in West Yorkshire Jan 2002: won

Northcliffe Will Not Block Recognition Sep 2001

As an example of why members are in dispute: On the pre-strike pay scales at Greater Manchester Weekly Newspapers, trainee journalists at the company started on as little as £10,486 per annum. The maximum anyone below a deputy editor could earn was £17,692. The situation is still as bad or worse in many other local newspaper groups.

According to research published in the Guardian in June 2001, the average starting salary for graduates in the traditionally low-paid retail and catering sectors is £17,000. Hence: "Do you want fries with that story?"

www.nuj.org.uk