Union victory: Al Jazeera English staff wins ground-breaking pay deal

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has praised the dedication and solidarity of journalists at Al Jazeera in London who have won a 9 percent pay rise after threatening to strike.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has praised the dedication and solidarity of journalists at Al Jazeera in London who have won a 9 percent pay rise after threatening to strike.

Members of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), an IFJ affiliate, and the Broadcasting, Entertainment, Communications and Theatre Union (Bectu) at Al Jazeera English voted on May 16 to accept an improved offer of a 9 percent increase over 2 years.

The pay increase, won after staff voted massively in favour of taking strike action over management's long-running refusal to negotiate, ends a three-year pay freeze imposed by the company. The new offer will see journalists salaries rise by 6 percent this year and 3 percent next year.

In a consultative ballot, 84 percent of NUJ members voted to accept the two-year pay deal worth more than 9 percent, ending four years without a rise. The action received huge international support.

Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ General Secretary, welcomed the settlement: “This is an important shift in relations with Al Jazeera and one we hope means that the collective bargaining process will run more smoothly in future. Members have voted overwhelmingly to accept the pay deal on offer, and we are pleased to have resolved the dispute.”

“The newly agreed deal is a clear example of the benefits of union collective action in securing fair pay for journalists and media workers,” said IFJ Secretary General Anthony Bellanger. “This is a huge victory we celebrate - one that shows that united action gets results.”


For more information, please contact IFJ on + 32 2 235 22 16

The IFJ represents more than 600,000 journalists in 146 countries

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