Journalists awarded recognition at AOL

Last month the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) won a recognition claim at Internet service provider AOL(UK).

The move represents an important breakthrough for the union, which has been taking steps to improve its organisation in the "new media" sector. AOL is owned by Time Warner, the world's biggest media company.

The decision by the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC), which regulates the official recognition procedure, covers 78 staff working at the production department in west London. They are responsible for putting editorial copy and other content onto the AOL site. The union was able to show that it had a majority membership in the bargaining group, backed by a petition supporting recognition without the need for a ballot.

The company wanted a ballot to be held, arguing that membership could not be taken as indicating a desire for collective bargaining. But the CAC decided that a ballot was not needed.

NUJ general secretary Jeremy Dear said: "This is a great triumph and the NUJ members who worked so hard on this landmark agreement should be extremely proud of themselves. We are now looking forward to negotiating an agreement that will help us work for better terms and conditions at AOL (UK)".

The campaign for recognition had been underway for about two years, and the union had already raised the issue of representation at disciplinary and grievance meetings.

Negotiations have now begun over a procedural agreement.