View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Archive content
August 28, 2003updated 17 May 2007 11:30am

Racing Post in NUJ sights as BAJ member ‘resigns’

By Press Gazette

The union recognition row at the Racing Post has taken a new twist following claims that the British Association of Journalists’ one member at the title has now left the organisation.

According to the NUJ, this means that owner Trinity Mirror must now recognise it as the official union at the daily paper. The union representation dispute began in June when the NUJ said it was close to gaining official recognition at Trinity Mirror Sports Division. The NUJ has 69 members out of the 131 journalists at the Racing Post and associated titles.

Trinity Mirror wrote to the NUJ saying it had instead decided to recognise the BAJ as the official union at the Racing Post. The BAJ has represented journalists on Trinity Mirror’s national titles since October 2001, but had just one member on the Racing Post.

Now, according to the NUJ, that member has decided to leave the BAJ. The NUJ is confident that this latest development means the BAJ deal will collapse and that Trinity Mirror will have to recognise the NUJ under the terms of the 1999 Employment Relations Act.

NUJ Father of Chapel at the Racing Post, Robin Gibson, said: “The one BAJ member has told me that he has resigned, which we thought was very decent.

“I wrote to him and basically explained the situation – he didn’t come under any pressure at all. “Trinity Mirror signed a deal with a union that doesn’t really represent anyone on the newspaper. He had been a member of the BAJ for some time and didn’t know what was going on. Once we’d explained the situation, he was happy to resign.”

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

NUJ members at the Racing Post are keen to get union recognition to strengthen their hand in negotiations over changes to working conditions. A large increase in Sunday racing from January will result in changes to shift patterns at the paper.

NUJ newspapers organiser Barry Fitzpatrick said: “I think this will alter the legal position; we have to put that to the test. It’s my understanding that without any members you can’t have a recognition agreement.”

BAJ chairman Leighton Bowen said: “We know that pressure has been put on this one chap to quit and we do not consider that that would alter our legal position at all. Our information is that some people on the Racing Post are now considering joining the BAJ.”

 

By Dominic Ponsford

Topics in this article :

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network