Tag Archives: pay

Unions jointly submit pay claim for BBC staff

The National Union of Journalists, Bectu and Unite have jointly issued a pay claim for BBC staff for 2012 to 2013, which according to union statements, asks for a rise “of RPI plus two per cent, with a minimum increase of £1,000”.

The NUJ says this would apply to BBC staff in bands two to 11. In a statement the NUJ’s broadcasting organiser Sue Harris said they consider it “a fair claim”.

According to the unions the claim “also seeks the reinstatement of a previous right for staff to lodge pay appeals” and “encourages BBC management to agree to the inclusion of elected staff representatives on the Executive Remuneration Committee”.

Read more on the pay claim on the NUJ and Bectu websites.

Johnston Press chief executive million pound earnings revealed in annual report

Johnston Press chief executive John Fry collected earnings of more than £1 million in 2010, according to the publisher’s annual report, sent out late on Friday afternoon.

The report follows an announcement earlier this month alongside the company’s preliminary results that Fry was to step down within the next year.

According to the figures Fry earned a basic salary of £525,000 in 2010, the same as the previous year, which was then boosted further by benefits and performance related bonus. This led to a total of £1,001,000, an increase on 2009 when Fry received a total of £969,000.

The salary details of other directors were also detailed in the report, with chief financial officer Stuart Paterson, who resigned last year, receiving a total of £520,000 and Danny Cammiade, chief operating officer, receiving an increased total of £618,000.

The report outlines the publisher’s financial performance in 2010, with key statistics including a decrease in total revenues of 7.1 per cent to £398.1 million, a drop in circulation revenues of 2.8 per cent to £96.7 million and an increase in digital revenues of 4 per cent.

NUJ members at Newsquest submit claim for 5 to 8% pay rise

National Union of Journalists (NUJ) members at Newsquest submitted this year’s pay claim yesterday and asked for a 5 to 8 per cent rise, according to the union.

The union is concerned that an ongoing pay freeze at the publisher combined with increases in the cost of living and new contracts offered by the group that rule out annual pay reviews will establish low pay as part of a journalist’s job, regardless of company profit levels.

The NUJ is also fighting Newsquest’s plans to close final salary pension schemes for staff.

Full statement on the NUJ website at this link…

Christian Science Monitor: ‘Journalists deserve low pay’

…so writes Robert G. Picard in this CSM opinion piece that’s likely to spark some debate.

Central to Picard’s argument (it’s worth reading the whole thing before unleashing a response):

“Wages are compensation for value creation. And journalists simply aren’t creating much value these days.”

Full story at this link…

MPs applaud Polly Toynbee for declaring £106,000 salary and urge journalists to follow her lead

At the time of writing, there are 33 signatures for this Early Day Motion, submitted by Gordon Prentice on May 5, 2009, which urges journalists, broadcasters, commentators and politicians to declare their own income before commenting on pay levels in the public sector:

“That this House applauds Polly Toynbee, the Guardian journalist and co-author of the book Unjust Rewards for volunteering details of her salary to the Public Administration Select Committee in its first evidence session on Executive Pay in the Public Sector; notes that she receives £106,000 per annum; and urges journalists, broadcasters, commentators, politicians and others to follow her example before pronouncing on pay levels in the public sector by first disclosing their own income, earned and unearned.”

(via PA MediaPoint at Press Gazette.co.uk)