Global support for Reach journalists
From Peru to Palestine and Ukraine to India, journalist organisations have been sending messages of support to #NUJReachStrike.
The Reach journalists rejected the company’s 3 per cent pay offer and balloted for strike action. The first strike day – Friday 26 August – was stopped at the eleventh hour when the management agreed to talks with the NUJ and ACAS the arbitration service, over the Bank Holiday weekend.
The union is prepared to be on strike on Wednesday if necessary.
Messages were sent from Dominique Pradalié, IFJ president, Australia’s MEAA, Brazil’s FENAJ, Panama’s SNJT, Peru’s ANP, Somalia’s NUSOJ, Palestine’s PJS, Lebanon’s SJL, FAPE of Spain, FeSp of Spain, Kenya’s KUJ, Uganda’s UJU, Kuwait’s KJA, Italy’s FNSI, Cameroon’s SNJ, Oman’s OJA, Afghanistan’s AIJU, Ukraine’s NUJU, South Africa’s MWASA, Greece’s JUADN, Greece’s ESPIT, Ghana’s GJA, Turkey Disk Basin, Afghanistan’s AIJA, and others.
The journalists and their reps working for Reach on titles including The Mirror, Express, Daily Record, Sunday Mail, Western Mail and Irish Star, the Manchester Evening News, Liverpool Echo, Bristol Post, Birmingham Mail, The Journal, South Wales Evening Post and the Live websites, thanked the unions saying the messages had provided a “huge boost”.
Jim Boumelha, former IFJ president and currently honorary treasurer, said:
“Our fight at Reach to defend our members’ standard of living struck a chord with journalists all over the world. Since the NUJ announced dates for their strike, messages from dozens of journalists’ sister unions started pouring, expressing solidarity. Management at Reach must take heed that NUJ members are not alone as tens of thousands of journalists will be standing shoulder to shoulder with them no matter how long it takes.”