I think it's legal for you to record phone calls without consent, if you are an individual, not a company.
I don't think it'd be legal for a journalist, unless he's doing it in a private capacity.. but if he's doing it for his job he must inform the other party.
I don't believe staff should have the right to refuse to engage in phone calls if the other party is recording calls legally. I know of at least one phone company who will originally state that it's illegal for customers to record phone calls, then they'll retract this as it's not true, but they will allow their staff not to engage in phone calls if the other party is legally recording the call, I think this is wrong.
Would they allow their staff not to talk to customers who are of the wrong sex, or religion, or who support the wrong football team? Should staff be permitted to choose whether they do their job or not? (Companies should tell staff that they must take calls even if they're being recorded, and if they're unhappy with this they shouldn't take the job, or they should resign.)
A similar idea would be photos.. people who work in public places can have their photo taken.. if they don't like this can they leave their post?, and not do their job? Should the employer allow this?.. for example for hotel doormen?, or those Queens Guards in London?, or a street sweeper?, or a bus driver?
Mercman... to be honest your problem is with the use to which your friend put the recording, not with the recording itself... although I can see your point of view, and that you're unhappy about the recording itself, and not just about the use to which the recording was put.
A judge in Ireland ruled in 2006 (in a tribunal I think) that it's fine for individuals to record phone calls... he said it was similar to taking notes, or to writing down contemporaneous notes.
Companies fall under the Data Protection Act, which doesn't apply to individuals.. (but it should apply to journalists, who I don't think can record calls without permission, or without 'implied permission' which would be if a recorded message said 'calls will be recorded', and the person stayed on the line anyway)
Cheers so