Journalists at the UK’s national news agency are celebrating victory after a long battle to achieve union recognition.

The National Union of Journalists has welcomed a decision to approve its application for union recognition at the Press Association (PA)

The decision was made by the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) responsible for determining union recognition on the basis that more than 50pc of journalists within the relevant cohort at PA are NUJ members.

PA had previously declared that while it would respect the outcome of the process, it believed union representation was “unnecessary.”

In its ruling, the CAC stated it “found no evidence” that union members at PA would not want collective bargaining conducted on their behalf, as had been suggested by the company.

NUJ general secretary Michelle Stanistreet, pictured, said: “This historic decision is the culmination of extensive work and imaginative campaigning by our reps at PA and the crucial evidence provided to the Central Arbitration Committee.

“This campaign, backed by hundreds of journalists across the group, will no doubt inspire editorial workers at other media organisations that achieving union recognition is possible even in the face of opposition.

“We welcome approval by the CAC and reaffirm our unwavering commitment to PA journalists and reps in fighting for a collective voice at work and improved terms and conditions for members.”

Jonathan Brady and Emily Pennink, co-chairs of the PA NUJ chapel, added: “We are delighted the union has been recognised at PA. This is the culmination of a long process which began in 2020, and we are so grateful to everyone who has been involved, and for the support we’ve had along the way.

“We are now looking forward to working hard to get the best we can for our colleagues and this decision ensures they can all have a real say in what happens at PA. We all love working for PA, it is a huge honour and responsibility to bring the news to people, one we all take very seriously.

“We now want to work with the company to improve things within our workplace to make PA the best it can be.

“We would like to say a huge thanks for the invaluable support we have received from our colleagues who are not yet in the NUJ, journalists from other organisations, NUJ officials and the legal team – especially Laura Davison, Mostafa Rajaai, Natasha Morris and Madeleine Stanley.”

A PA spokesperson said: “We value our people and the contribution they make and respect the outcome of this process and the views that have been shared as part of it.

“We will now work together with the NUJ and our teams to continue to make PA a great place to work and build a career.”