Telegraph Media Group has expressed surprise at the NUJ’s announcement of a strike action ballot.
Press Gazette: Telegraph astonishment at proposed strike
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NUJ plans ‘concerted campaign’ against Johnston Press cuts
National Union of Journalists (NUJ) representatives are gearing up for ‘coordinated action’ in response to cutbacks announced by Johnston Press.
Reps will tonight discuss plans for a campaign, the NUJ has said, following news of cuts at the Sheffield Star, Scotsman Publications, the Glasgow East News and the Ayrshire Extra.
Restructuring has put up to 30 jobs at risk at the Scotsman, Scotland on Sunday and Edinburgh Evening News, though no specific figure for the number of editorial job losses has been given.
A further 15 positions are to go as Johnston Press ceases publication of the Glasgow East News and Ayrshire Extra.
The union has also received complaints about working conditions at the Blackpool Gazette, which it has sent in a memo to the company.
The memo included claims that four news sub-editors have been working 55-hour weeks, while a junior reporter worked 110 hours in 11 days.
The publisher has disputed the figures stated in the memo, the NUJ said.
“Our members in Johnston Press want to produce high quality local papers, but they are finding they have to work incredibly long hours – sometimes dangerously long hours – in order to do so.
“Many of our members are already facing high levels of stress and these latest cuts will simply make an intolerable situation even worse. No wonder our members are calling for a concerted campaign against the company’s failure to invest in quality journalism,” said Jeremy Dear, NUJ general secretary, in a press statement.
NUJ calls for investigation into death of photojournalist Richard Mills
The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has called for a full investigation into the death of photojournalist Richard Mills, who died while working for The Times in Zimbabwe.
In a letter from NUJ president James Doherty to South African president Thabo Mbeki, the union raised concerns that Mills’ death could be linked to his work and was not suicide as claimed by the Zimbabwean authorities.
“The National Union of Journalists shares with his family, colleagues and friends their grave concern at the circumstances surrounding Richard’s death (…)You will be aware that the current Zimbabwean government has a notorious record in relation to human rights and freedom of expression. Against this background we are requesting that you raise this incident in your discussions with Zimbabwean authorities to ensure that it is investigated in an open and transparent manner,” the letter said.
Mills, whose funeral was held in Belfast yesterday, was working undercover for The Times at the time of his death.
Editorial Photographers UK published an obituary for Richard on the site.
UPDATE – the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), who had also called for an investigation into Richard’s death, have withdrawn their demand after his family announced they had accepted the result of a post-mortem, which suggested he had taken his own life.
Newsquest York journalists seal pay deal
National Union of Journalists (NUJ) members at Newsquest’s The Press and Gazette & Herald in York have accepted a three per cent salary rise – the result of long-term negotiations and industrial action at the titles.
In May NUJ members at Newsquest York staged a five-day strike over the proposed three per cent pay increase.
According to a release from the NUJ, the pay deal will be backdated to January and includes a 17 per cent increase for new trainees and a 13 per cent rise for specialist reporters.
Negotiations about 2009 salaries have been brought forward and are expected to begin shortly, the union said.
Newsquest announces 40 job cuts: ‘poor trading conditions’ to blame
Newsquest Glasgow blamed ‘poor trading conditions’ as it announced 40 job-cuts yesterday.
The company publishes the Glasgow Evening Times, Herald and Sunday Herald newspapers and 20 of the jobs are believed to be in editorial departments.
Newsquest Glasgow has adopted a Telegraph-style integration policy and will merge staff at the three offices to create ‘one of the world’s most modern multimedia news operations’, it announced yesterday.
NUJ President James Doherty has accused Newsquest of having a detrimental impact on Scotland’s leading papers since it first took over the titles.
“Last year we took action against management, now members are more furious than ever and we will be looking for support in any action we take to fight against these savage cuts,” he said.
“We will be looking to political leaders and others to defend quality journalism as part of a healthy democracy in a devolved Scotland.”
According to Press Gazette, Herald editor Charles McGhee and Evening Times editor Donald Martin said that volunteers would be sought before any compulsory cuts are considered.
Express Newspapers staff vote for strike action
Journalists at the Daily Express, Sunday Express and Daily Star are to undertake a series of 24-hour strikes over pay.
Strike action – scheduled for April 3, 10 and 17 – was approved at a National Union of Journalists (NUJ) meeting last night and is a reaction to ‘a below inflation pay offer’ – 3 per cent – made by the papers’ management to staff.
A statement from the NUJ also expressed concerns over owner Richard Desmond’s involvement with editorial decision making at the titles.
“We want the editors to be left to edit, free from commercial interference that puts opportunities to boost circulation ahead of journalistic integrity. Our titles need real investment, instead we face continuous rounds of budget cuts and inadequate staffing levels. Now we’re being told to take a below inflation pay offer and be grateful we’re not facing more redundancies this year – we’ve simply had enough,” said Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ President and union representative at the Express.
NUJ’s Journalist magazine to launch website?
The April edition of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) magazine the Journalist is available only as a downloadable pdf – a decision criticised by some, who argue that a dedicated website for the publication is needed.
However, according to an introduction to a feature in the current issue, there are plans afoot to launch such a site: “The Journalist Editorial Advisory Board is already working on a plan to go online with a site — a proper website, not pdfs — launching later this year. The relationship to the printed magazine — and to the union’s official website — are under discussion.”
In the feature, Chris Wheal, freelance journalist and chair of the NUJ Professional Training Committee, says a multimedia website for the union could demonstrate its ability to do multimedia content ‘in a planned, well thought-out and funded way’. Wheal also suggests that such a site might require a full-time editor’s post with less responsibility for union duties.
Reactions to the PDF version featured alongside this article show little support for an PDF-only Journalist. “This completely undermines our faith in the newspaper and magazine business. Many members will not bother to access the NUJ site,” says one commenter, while another suggests the experiment will ‘damage links with members and decrease their support’.
This month’s trial has certainly provided some food for thought, but what’s the answer: pdf, hybrid or online-only?
NUJ’s Journalist magazine to go online-only
Next month’s edition of the Journalist – the magazine of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) – will be available only as a pdf from the union’s website.
The experiment is a chance to see which format members prefer, an announcement in this month’s edition explained.
But this is also a cost-saving strategy, as, according to the union, postage and packaging account for 60 per cent of the cost of the Journalist, which costs the NUJ in excess of £200,000 a year to produce.
Members will receive an email alert about the special edition, which will be available for download from March 17.