Recognition battle

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) is being forced to use the law to get recognition at left-of-centre magazine New Statesman.

The NUJ wrote to the company, which is part owned by Labour MP Geoffrey Robinson, asking for a voluntary recognition agreement. But national organiser for magazines Sue Harris, said the union was “astounded” to be rejected, given the magazine’s editorial stance.

She said the union would now start the statutory procedure to gain recognition, “which we are confident of winning because we have more than 90% union membership in our proposed bargaining unit.”