HeartUnions Week 2025
#HeartUnions week, 10-16 February, is a chance to celebrate the work of the NUJ and encourage colleagues to join the union.
Union membership is about solidarity. Every member has an opportunity to contribute and make the union stronger.
Reasons to join
"HeartUnions week is a chance to remind ourselves of the power of coming together collectively to make change. The organised voice of NUJ members speaks loudly on crucial issues of public good, democracy, equality, pay, media freedom, international solidarity and much more. No-one needs to feel alone in their work when they are part of their union and part of the wider trades union movement. Why not speak to a colleague today and ask them to join the NUJ this HeartUnions week and become a part of that change."
Laura Davison, NUJ general secretary.
"The NUJ is the independent voice of professional journalists.
"Standing up for journalism means defending terms and conditions of employment, fighting for freelance rights, challenging inequality, delivery on equal pay, opposing censorship and campaigning for the rights of journalists to report without fear or favour across the world.
"It has never been more important for journalists to unite under the trade union banner, defending journalists against the sly and mighty for whom journalism is no more than a commercial commodity, with no regard for the ethical principles and values which are at the heart of the NUJ Code of Conduct."
Séamus Dooley, NUJ assistant general secretary.
"The NUJ has protected and supported me through some very difficult points in my life. It's helped me keep my career going, I've met incredible people along the way and have a fantastic professional and social network around me. As an NUJ member I've been able to influence our campaigns and lobbying work, it's a space for my voice to make a difference. Things happen in our working lives that we can't address on our own, but collectively we can create significant change in our workplaces and for our industry. I'm really proud to be an NUJ member, come and be a part of a union that makes a real difference for journalists and communications professionals."
Natasha Hirst, NUJ president.
"We are extremely proud that the Equality Council has put pay transparency at the forefront of the NUJ’s work through the successful #ShowUsTheMoney campaign. Research clearly shows that women, disabled workers and Black and minority ethnic workers are especially disadvantaged when job adverts don’t disclose the job salary – a practice that’s rife in the media industry. #ShowUsTheMoney made it to Parliament through an Early Day Motion on pay transparency, which is a beautiful example of how unions can actually change things for the better and get a better deal for workers."
Raj Sangha Ford and Cristina Lago, Equality Council co-chairs.
NUJ resources
Safety: Access the Journalists' Safety Toolkit, designed for use on-the-go, with helpful information on topics including workplace safety, mental health and staying safe online. Access the toolkit.
Our Journalists' Safety Tracker is collating evidence to help inform our campaigning on action to protect journalists both online and in-person. Use the tracker to report any incidents of abuse, violence, trolling or Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP) against you. Share the Tracker with colleagues as an example of the important work the union is doing. Non-members can report incidents using the tool, responses remain anonymous.
-
The NUJ is campaigning on artificial intelligence, engaging through the union's Parliamentary Group on threats posed by legislative approaches that would mean weakened rights for journalists. We have responded to consultations in the UK and Ireland, ensuring our members' concerns are relayed. Read more on our AI campaign page.
-
We are urging employers through our #ShowUsTheMoney campaign to take greater action to tackle the gender pay gap and improve salary transparency within our industry.
-
The union's News Recovery Plan calls for investment to transform the media industry, making it fit for our collective purpose and truly serving the public good. Action to protect and invest in public service broadcasting, recognition of the need for trust, and the importance of trade union organisation in ensuring a collective voice all feature. Share the plan with colleagues this week.
NUJ extra
The NUJ's welfare charity helps members and their dependents who have fallen on hard times. NUJ extra has met the removal costs of members who were fleeing from violent partners and provided financial support to get them back on their feet. Find out more about the charity and its important work.
“I suffered an enormous coronary and I had multiple organ failure. It was a grim time, but NUJ Extra was there when everything else seemed bleak. I cannot overstate how important NUJ Extra was to me. It made me feel like I belonged.” Eugene Costello, freelance feature writer.
NUJ members can benefit from:
- Free copyright and intellectual property advice
- Free online service for writing your will
- Legal advice on all aspects of employment law
- Fixed rate conveyancing service
The union provides individual and collective representation on issues including:
- Pay negotiations
- Disciplinary and redundancy processes
- Bullying and harassment
- Health and safety issues
- Equality issues
- Ethical journalism
George Viner Memorial Fund
The Fund was set up by the NUJ to broaden the diversity of journalists working in the British and Irish media. The number of journalists from minority ethnic backgrounds employed in the media industry is only approximately 8 per cent. Applications open later this year, but now's a good time to read more about the Fund's aims.
Orwell Society/NUJ Young Journalists Award
George Orwell was an NUJ member and one of the foremost writers of the twentieth century. The Orwell Society/NUJ Young Journalists Award is one of the union is immensely proud of. Winners and Runners up receive free one year membership of The Orwell Society. The award offers a cash prize and NUJ membership to the winner of two categories: columns and reviews. More on the eligibility criteria.
TUC resources
On Thursday 13 February from 2.30pm-3.30pm, the TUC will host its Unionreps webinar focused on strategies for member recruitment. Join to share your workplace stories, learn from others, and discover how to turn challenges into union-strengthening tools. Connect with fellow reps, exchange ideas and explore how these challenges can be used as powerful tools to recruit new members and strengthen your union branch. Sign up for the webinar.
Access helpful resources from the TUC including on organising at work and building stronger unions in workplaces.
Throughout HeartUnions week, tag the NUJ's accounts on social media and remember to use #HeartUnions. We're on X, Instagram, Facebook and Bluesky.
Email [email protected] and let us know about activities your branch or chapel has undertaken.