TV coverage spreads our message

More good news on the media front. Aside from longer slots with interviews shown on Calendar and Look North last night, we also featured on ITV Tyne Tees news. Management have refused to give any comments to radio and TV, leaving us with a free run at it.

We also featured on the Hold The Front Page website today and at Journalism.co.uk, although the latter article looks at the video journalism angle. In a nutshell, we balloted for industrial action over this issue in December because of a lack of training, a shortage of reporters and there being no extra pay for the new skills. We called off the action after Steve Hughes promised 0.5% of budget towards payments for this. However, in the ongoing pay talks, this changed to become simply "merit money" for the editor to reward who he likes. It seems management are not even intending to spend this money.

Fundamentally, though, this strike is down to low pay and a below-inflation pay offer that we cannot accept.