Sub-editors working at a Newsquest centralised production unit have been told their jobs are at risk of redundancy, just months after it was created.
The company announced plans last October to set up the subbing hub at Southampton daily the Southern Daily Echo.
The move resulted in five job losses at Brighton-based sister title The Argus whose production operation was switched to the new unit.
Now around 20 sub-editors working in the hub have been told that four posts will be cut, while a reorganisation of the Echo’s sports desk will see a further position axed.
The move was announced to journalists by editor-in-chief Ian Murray and the National Union of Journalists’ chapel at the Echo will meet today (Thursday) to consider its options, which could include industrial action.
In an announcement to staff, Mr Murray said the subbing changes were being proposed due to ‘the need to seek greater efficiencies’ because of continued trading conditions.
He wrote: “These proposed changes, if implemented, are projected to lead to the loss of four full time equivalent news subbing posts.
“Additionally it is proposed to streamline the sports department management team, which would result in the loss of one full time equivalent position.
“The proposed changes will include the creation of one extra assistant chief sub editor at Southampton to oversee pages from the Brighton/Sussex centre.”
A 30-day consultation on the plans begins on 14 March.
David Brine, NUJ representative at the paper, said: “It is deeply disappointing to find out about more jobs going. It just seems there’s a real climate with cutting everything back to the bone in Newsquest at the moment.
“I don’t want to rule anything in or out at the moment. I need to see what the feeling of the members is.
“We have had seven days of strike action here in the last four months and some of our grievances about pay are still unresolved.”
Journalists at the Echo have held a number of strikes over pay, while NUJ members at The Argus walked out over the centralised subbing plans.
Mr Murray declined to comment further.
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Rather than axe sub-editors who are very productive, the greatest saving Newsquest could make would be to get rid of the vast management structure throughout the company.
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I totally agree with Onlooker2. Newsquest management seems to consist of a never-ending web of yes men who constantly defer responsibility for the appalling decisions they keep making. Hardworking subs don’t deserve to be treated like this, constantly taking on more work in an increasingly unstable climate. Wake up Newsquest – subs aren’t the problem here.
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Newsquest employees must feel like ragdolls being thrown around by some capricious child which insists on calling itself ‘management’.
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Onlooker’s comment is interesting; do Newsquest suffer from Big Management syndrome? I knew a national-sized engineering Plc once that was on the verge of going under until a new MD came along and simply closed down head office, got rid of the accounts dept, the marketing dept, HR, at least three board directors and their associated perks and so on and localised all its functions out to the branches. Saved millions, not just off the payroll but also from some strange figure called “head office charges”, whereby the hard working branches had to pay for head office simply to exist (it didn’t do much – you should have seen their website) and the company is now doing well. In the crisis, the number of redundancies at the sharp end was kept to a minimum. A lesson here for NQ, perhaps? too late, I know, but…
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Hilary is spot on. All the big companies want is a one-size fits all newspaper. Forget LOCAL. its just a meaningless mantra and those at the sharp end know it. Independent ownership would save many great local papers. Problem is, as has been raised on HTFP before, who is going to invest in a newspaper in these times? We are stuck.
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Those poor souls forced to moved from Portsmouth to a “hub” in sleepy Horsham or else lose their jobs by over-managed but ruthless JP take note.
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Fully concur with the comments about oversized management. It’s just the same at Northcliffe. It’s a puzzle why some of the newspapers where some of the biggest cuts have come, still have editors, deputy editors, assistant editors and heads of this that and the other, with so few staff to oversee. More highly paid chiefs than lowly paid indians.
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Fully concur with the comments about bloated management. At Northcliffe titles there’s a whole pile of editors, deputy editors, assistant editors and heads of this that and the other, now with very few staff to oversee following redundancies. Too many chiefs, too few indians. No wonder the quality suffers and readers are leaving in droves.
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