Journalists at a regional daily have voted to take strike action over job cuts – just days after the editor resigned.
Members of the National Union of Journalists at Sheffield daily The Star were balloted for action after Johnston Press revealed proposals to cut up to 10 jobs at the subbing hub based there.
The union made a formal request last week for the job cuts to be put on hold, after The Star’s editor John Furbisher resigned from the role.
Members of the Sheffield chapel have now voted 65pc in favour of going on strike but Chris Morley, the NUJ’s Northern and Midlands organiser, said action may be avoided if there were no compulsory redundancies.
He said: “The crucial thing is that what the chapel wants to do is protect members potentially at risk of compulsory redundancy.
“The company is saying there needn’t be any because of the other vacancies but that depends whether there is a perfect match and we are a long way from determining that.
“The chapel will meet next week to decide what to do next. It depends on what the company does to push this through and how it impacts on members.
“The chapel is emphatically against compulsory redundancies.”
Johnston Press declined to comment on the strike vote.
The company has previously said that although it wants to cut up to 10 jobs at the subbing unit, it will create five jobs elsewhere and aim to redeploy the remaining staff to other roles, so there would be no overall reduction in headcount.
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No reduction in headcount? That doesn’t include the freelancers who have worked tirelessly under challenging conditions – no sick pay, no holiday pay, no contract – who will now lose their jobs so contracted employees don’t lose theirs. Thanks JP.
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Newspaper owners do not know what they are doing. Not a clue. Cruel and heartless. Thank goodness that pay in the industry has fallen to below that of admin workers so that none of those made redundant will miss their monthly salaries
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I agree with the above, newspaper management is beyond pathetic. Is this because decent managers can’t be lured in to the industry, simply because the rates of pay are woefully low across the board, not just in editorial?
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Northern Snapper – very true, but who in their right mind would want to captain the Titanic? Rats leave the sinking ship, not join it.
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I’d hardly call it a “crisis”.
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PC- you would if you were one of the poor sods being pushed out or around the country.
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PC – the whole industry is in crisis. Or hadn’t you noticed? Anyway, any decent sub would tell you it makes a good headline!
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