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Fire Brigades Union monthly magazine takes away TUC prize

Posted: 02/07/09 By: Judith Townend

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Union publications were rewarded at last night's Trades Union Congress (TUC) annual Communications Awards. Fighfighter, the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) monthly magazine won in the best journal or magazine category, for 'its passion and dynamism,' a release said.

Best picture went to the broadcasting union, BECTU, for 'its powerful real-life picture of police harassment of media workers,' on the front cover of its Stage, Screen and Radio magazine.

Freelance photographer Marc Vallée, who took the picture, told Journalism.co.uk: "It is always good to get recognition for the work you do, but I do hope this is a sign that TUC leaders will take up the case of press freedom and photographers rights with the government at the highest level.

"After all it is this New Labour government - backed by the trade union movement - that brought in the anti-terror laws that are so often used against working journalists and photographers when documenting dissent on the streets, and sometimes fields, of Britain."

On Vallée's own blog he described how the picture documented an ITV Meridian crew being stopped and searched by police at last year's climate camp protest.

"On the day I took the picture I was assaulted, stop and searched, and later filmed by a police surveillance team when filing [via wifi] pictures at a local McDonalds."

Other winners included shop workers' union, USDAW, for its Check Out Learning campaign; civil service union, PCS, for best feature and website, and the communications union, CWU, for the best use of electronic media.

"Once again, we've seen some strong performances from across the union movement," said TUC General Secretary, Brendan Barber, in the release.

"When times are tough, members look to their union for support. It is absolutely vital that unions communicate what they are doing for their members. On the evidence of this year’s award winners, they are doing a fine job."

The full 2009 TUC Press and PR award winners:

Best Journal or magazine: FBU's Firefighter (winner), USDAW's Arena (highly commended), Nautilus' Telegraph (commended)

Best feature: PCS (winner), Nautilus (highly commended), BECTU (commended)

Best use of a photo or illustration: BECTU (winner), TSSA (highly commended), NUJ (commended)

Best one-off publication: UCU (winner), USDAW (highly commended), FBU (commended)

Best campaign: USDAW's Check Out Learning (winner), FBU's Safer Firefighters, Safer Communities (highly commended), NASUWT's Is Your School Breaking The Law? (commended)

Best website: PCS (winner), FDA (highly commended), CWU (commended)

Best use of electronic communication: CWU (winner), FBU (highly commended)

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