1. Attendance –   20

2. Apologies -  Zarina Holmes, Jason N. Parkinson,  Pete Maclaine, Jess Hurd, John Harris, Michael Preston, Pippa Jane Wielgos, Ross Domoney

3.  Minutes ( 26 / 02 / 2013 ) – agreed

4. Matter arising –  none

5. Discussion –    THE STATE of the LOCAL PRESS , introduced by Anne – Marie Sanderson ( Branch committee member and  & Chief    Photographer at North London and Herts News ) and Barry Fitzpatrick (NUJ deputy General Secretary)

6. Nibbles break

7. Membership -

Full -  Xavier Galiana Acosta

Temporary -  Rich Bowen, Ngalula Kabutakapua, Lydia Pagini, Antonio Sansica, David Williamson

All elected into appropriate membership

6. Motions -

(1)   The NUJ Photographers’ Branch acknowledges the popular degrading of the work of photographers and videographers.

      The LPB knows that no one can represent working photographers and videographers better than ourselves.

      Therefore, the LPB resolves to:

1/  organise a project called Working Lives

2/  the purpose of the project is to show the diversity of lens - based journalism and to use Working Lives as an Union recruitment tool

3/  Tracy Howl will coordinate project but the working Group will continue to organise project

4/  Working Lives to begin in May 2013

5/  the Branch will ask for ten volunteers to begin project in addition to Branch members who are able to help filming, interviewing and editing.

6/  the project will continue increasing the number of those interviewed, asking for volunteers and directly asking individuals  to participate

7/  Working Lives will be a video – based project.  Once it is well established, the Branch could decide to have a “static” image exhibition at a later time

8/  interviews could / should contain images of the interviewed’s choosing

9/  the project will be on line with its own linked site

      10/  while the Working Lives project is open ended, it will finish upon the recommendation of the WG and by a decision of the LPB

     11/  the project will be self – funding through various grants

PROPOSED:  Tracy Howl

SECONDED:  Paul Mattsson

VOTE:  agreed / non against

(2) Branch agrees to provide a link to NUJ Xtra on our website and Branch will invest in a very cheap phone for this purpose.

Agreed to refer back to committee

7. Photographers’ Council Elections -

Nominations:

1.  Steve Kettle

2.  Jess Hurd

3.  Andrew Wiard

Agreed that above will be the LPB nominations

Jess Hurd has since declined nomination

8. Reports -

1. Redeye Liverpool “Photography Activists’ conference -  the following members came forward to take part: Pete Maclaine, Zarina Holmes, Anne-Marie Sanderson , Matthew Aslett , Tracy Howl , Andrew Wiard, Paul Mattsson

2.    Branch treasury –  £240.21 in account

3. Welfare –  LPB Welfare Officer, Pete Maclaine and Larry Herman met with Lena Calvert at Headland House to discuss aspects of welfare and   health & safety

  Possibility of NUJ women’s health & safety training. Will discuss at April committee meeting

4. BBC strike –  Now on from noon until 23.59, Thursday, 28 March 2013.

5. Domestic Extremist Register

David Hoffman requested Branch support for an attempt to pursue the deletion of details about himself wrongly held on the Domestic Extremist Register, possibly using solicitors of his own choice rather than those regularly used by the NUJ.  It was agreed that, as some other Branch members are in a similar position, those affected should together discuss how best to approach this issue, and formulate a proposal to put to the Branch.

David Hoffman also reported that the American government has claimed that there is no limit to its right to interrogate & search travellers entering the US, including, seizing and/or copying data from computers/ phones, etc.

6. Copyright –  committee to schedule a more comprehensive report at future Branch meeting

7. Homophobia and the Media meeting: Headland House, 6.30, Tuesday, 16th April.

Speakers: Michelle Stanistreet (NUJ General Secretary), Peter Tatchell (campaigner), Lesley Woodburn (southeast TUC LGBT network), Marc Vallee, chair ( LPB member)

8. National Executive Committee (NEC) report

9. Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom (CPBF)

10. A.O.B.

a/  Aleithia photos who did a presentation at the last  branch meeting now have a Facebook page and  members are invited to join it to keep up to date with what they are doing. b/  The Reel News film ‘Into the Fire’ which members were shown a clip of at the February branch meeting now has a release date of April 21st.