Description
The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) is a trade union for journalists in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was founded in 1907 and has 24,528 members. It is a member of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).
Structure
There is a range of national councils below the NEC, covering different sections and areas of activity. There is an industrial council for each of the NUJ's "industrial" sectors – Newspapers and Agencies, Freelance, Magazine and Book, Broadcasting, New Media and Press and PR.
There are also national Executive Councils, covering all sectors, for Ireland and Scotland. The Irish Executive Council, which has a higher degree of autonomy, covers Northern Ireland as well as the Republic.
The union's structure is democratic and its supreme decision-making body is its Delegate Meeting, a gathering of elected delegates from all branches across the UK, Ireland and Europe.
Between meetings, decisions lie with the NUJ's National Executive Council, a committee of 27 people, elected annually by members. The NEC is chaired by a President, elected, along with a Vice-President and Treasurer, at the Annual Delegate Meeting.
The General Secretary (GS) is elected every five years by a national ballot of all members. The current GS is Michelle Stanistreet.
The General Secretary is responsible for the day-to-day running of the union and directing its staff. However, important decisions such as authorising industrial action must be taken by the NEC.
