Chapel’s tribute to a real hero

THIS IS a public thank you to Sam Southgate, our joint Father of the Chapel, whom we lost in the recent round of redundancies at The Press and The Gazette and Herald, York.

Sam has just finished the kind of year that no FoC would like to face, including months of endlessly frustrating pay negotiations with management and a personal threat of a disciplinary hearing that in the end came to nothing.

Then, when we were still in dispute, he had to face the devastating announcement that management was preparing to make a quarter of his chapel redundant, and somehow find a way of rallying the shell-shocked troops to start a new battle.

Throughout this, his confident, calm stance never wavered. He was an inspiration to us all, a fluent, eloquent voice on the national and regional stage who ensured that our cause got maximum publicity, and his meticulous and time-consuming organisation was a major reason for the success of our five-day strike last May.

He was a very steady hand at the tiller and we shall miss him.

In the end we only lost a tenth of our membership, and Sam was one of those who took voluntary redundancy. We gave him a three-minute spontaneous ovation at his leaving do.

Sam, you had to leave a lot of business unfinished. We shan’t let you down — we’ll finish it for you.

The NUJ Chapel
The Press and The Gazette & Herald, York

 

Our Lucy is another

I WOULD like to applaud your new series on great NUJ reps (Our Union Heroes) and its first subject, Lucy Lynch.

Since introducing herself to me and other trainees her commitment to journalists’ rights has been obvious.

Lucy is friendly and approachable and has kept us up-to-date with union matters and is always free to answer questions. She has been a great help to me and other cub reporters.

I know she is working tirelessly to gain union recognition in Midland Weekly Media. She is a credit to the NUJ.

Cillian O’Brien
Trainee Reporter, Tamworth Times

 

Thanks for a great effort

I am a freelance photographer in the Republic of Ireland though I want to remain anonymous. I was owed €2,500 by an Irish organisation which wasn’t paying up. I got my money with the help of Nicola Coleman and Seamus Dooley of the NUJ Irish Office. I wish to thank both of them for their great effort.

Name withheld by agreement