The NUJ and sister union BECTU are continuing to campaign for pay increases at Al Jazeera English.  

The unions met with the company's management at ACAS earlier this month and were very disappointed to be told after three years of face-to-face negotiations that management are not prepared to offer staff a consolidated pay increase.

Reporting back to members after ACAS, the unions said: "We were told that whilst London had requested funding for a consolidated across the board pay increase that this had not been approved by Doha. It was explained that there would be no company-wide pay increases nor would any bonuses be payable."

Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ general secretary, said:

"Al Jazeera employees deserve a pay increase, the response from the company is not good enough. We will continue to campaign for Al Jazeera to fairly reward its staff. The cost of living is increasing and Al Jazeera should improve their pay offer in order to resolve this escalating dispute."
Gerry Carr, BECTU's assistant national secretary, said:

"Management's continued failure to recognise the erosion of their employees' living standards as a result of no consolidated pay increase since 2013 lies at the root of this dispute. Prices are rising but our members' salaries have been frozen for over four years. Al Jazeera needs to act and act fast if it wants to reach a resolution to this dispute."
In October this year, members of the NUJ and BECTU at Al Jazeera voted by more than 90 per cent in favour of industrial action if the current pay dispute is not resolved. 

The unions have agreed to organise a members meeting at the company in the New Year in order to decide on the next steps in the campaign.