National Union of Journalists members working at newspapers owned by Trinity Mirror across the country are calling for better pay and benefits.

A national pay claim for journalists working on the group’s regional titles, which asks for an across the board pay rise of five per cent, has been delivered to Trinity Mirror chief executive Sly Bailey.

The NUJ is also calling for a new trainee banding system, an additional day’s holiday for every five years of service, a guaranteed right to time off in lieu of additional hours worked and the reopening of the final salary pension scheme.

Local union officials at Trinity’s regional centres are also submitting the same claim, as the union does not have national negotiating rights.

NUJ general secretary Jeremy Dear said the newspaper group should use its profits to reward staff.

He said: “At a time when Trinity Mirror’s latest results show they made pre-tax profits of more than £101m in just six months our claim is reasonable and affordable. In fact it’s essential if Trinity Mirror are to recruit and retain quality journalists and continue to produce successful newspapers.

“Trinity Mirror is making more than £500,000 profit a day whilst some of our members are earning the equivalent of just £42 a day. They are being exploited so shareholders can continue to line their pockets.

“It’s time they started rewarding those who, despite the cutbacks, are working ever harder to continue to produce high quality newspapers.”

A Trinity Mirror spokesperson confirmed that Sly Bailey received a letter from the NUJ, but said the company would not be making any comment until it had responded to the union directly.

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