By Dominic Ponsford
Thirteen years after being derecognised at the Western Mail, the NUJ is to again officially represent journalists on the Cardiff newspaper.
It marks the end of a campaign launched by the union five years ago when management at the Western Mail signed a deal with the union Amicus to represent all staff on the paper. The move caused controversy because few, if any, journalists were then members of Amicus.
The new deal is a three-way one involving the NUJ, Amicus and Mail owner Trinity Mirror.
It means the NUJ will have the right to join in pay bargaining at the paper and to represent staff with grievances.
Unusually for an NUJ agreement, the bargaining unit for pay claims will involve all staff at the paper, not just journalists.
The NUJ, which has around 100 members at the paper, agreed to sign up after securing changes to the existing Amicus agreement, including the removal of a no-strike clause.
NUJ newspapers organiser Barry Fitzpatrick said: “We want to view it positively. It would have helped if the thing hadn’t been imposed the way it was originally, but that’s all in the past.
“We will be interested to see how it works now we are part of it. We have been made to feel that the management want to see it work as well.”
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