Union action

The journalists’ union NUJ told the Labour Research Department (LRD) that stress has become an even greater problem for the union to deal with in the past year, having been a significant problem for several years. “We are dealing with members on a daily basis who are severely affected by stress at work and there have been incidences of journalists completing¹ suicide through work-related issues,” the union reported.

For example, Russell Joslin took his own life after being sexually harassed and bullied by a female colleague at Radio Coventry and Warwickshire. An inquest into his death heard that Mr Joslin was extremely unhappy at work, feeling unable to cope with increased workloads and extra stress caused by low levels of staffing at his radio station. The consultant from the hospital that treated Mr Joslin told the inquest that work-related stress was at the centre of what caused his anxiety at the time. The NUJ called on the BBC to limit extra workloads and take steps to reduce the stress levels of staff.

The union also submitted evidence to the Leveson Inquiry into the culture, practices and ethics of the press highlighting the culture within newsrooms of journalists being under pressure to perform or their jobs would be on the line.

And it has been closely involved with the Dinah Rose inquiry into bullying and harassment at the BBC which impacts on workplace stress and mental health. The NUJ and other entertainment unions took strike action at the BBC over compulsory redundancies, excessive workloads and bullying and harassment.

The union has recently launched a “stress-busting” campaign and, prompted by Russell Joslin’s suicide, the union’s Scottish Executive Council has demanded that employers of media workers take urgent action to “Stamp Out Stress” at work.

It says that employers must recognise the impact on the mental health of workers as they are put under increasing pressure to perform an ever-increasing and relentless workload against tighter deadlines with an ever-decreasing team to provide any support. “Week after week there are announcements of further redundancies, adding to the already intolerable pressure on those considered “lucky” enough to keep their jobs, until the next round,” it says. “But when the situation in the workplace leads to loss of life, action has to be taken, urgently.”

The Scottish Executive Council demanded talks with management of major media employers as a matter of urgency to take action to end the steady reduction in the number of workers; ensure those who leave are replaced and temporary relief is provided; and to ensure the health and wellbeing of all employees.

The union campaign secured Scottish government backing for up to 50 new modern apprenticeships in the media industry, which the union says will assist in relieving the pressure on existing newsroom staff.

In addition the union has been campaigning with other unions in the Federation of Entertainment Unions (FEU) to stamp out bullying in the industry (see box below)

¹Describing the taking of a person's own life as “completing” suicide rather than “committing” suicide is the preferred terminology of organisations dealing with mental health and suicide, as suicide is not a criminal offence.