Recognition battle victory

NUJ members at Northcliffe-owned Kent Regional Newspapers have won formal union recognition after a long campaign. They voted to force the company to recognise the NUJ in a ballot organised by the official body that oversees union recognition bids.

This is the latest win for the NUJ in Northcliffe. The NUJ is already recognised at its titles in Bristol and Leicester. The result is also a boost to Northcliffe journalists on the South Wales Evening Post who are campaigning for recognition (see page 25).

“Our members are delighted to have won a genuine voice at work,” said National Organiser Barry Fitzpatrick. “Despite a hard-fought anti-union campaign, journalists have made it clear they see the NUJ as their best way of securing better pay, benefits and job security.”

Kent Regional Newspapers publishes weeklies in mid and north Kent.

The Journalist is published by the National Union of Journalists