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Tindle journalists to strike over low staff numbers

A group of weekly newspaper journalists will go on strike next week over their company’s refusal to recruit new staff.

Nine members of the National Union of Journalists working for Tindle Newspaper’s North London and Herts Newspapers in Enfield are due to begin their strike next Tuesday.

Their walkout is expected to take place from Tuesday to Thursday for the next two weeks after journalists said they were unhappy about the company’s refusal to change its policy of not automatically replacing staff who leave.

The NUJ chapel, which includes those working for the Enfield Advertiser, Enfield Gazette, the Winchmore Hill Advertiser & Herald and the Haringey Advertiser, says the newspapers are being left to ‘dwindle and die’ and the company is expecting its already overworked journalists to do even more.

It said more than one-third of editorial staff have left without being replaced and key positions are not being filled – with just three reporters ‘churning out’ nine newspapers a week.

The chapel said this means reporters do not have time to leave their desks to cover council meetings, community events and court cases, so they are missing important stories.

Barry Fitzpatrick, NUJ head of publishing, said: “It’s a dispute that should not be happening. If this business is to have a future it must rely on the quality of journalism and sufficient staff to produce the titles.”

As part of the strike, a procession will take place next Wednesday featuring the Grim Reaper and a funeral procession.

A statement by the Tindle Board says it regrets the decision of the chapel and the company was unable to take on new people or increase pay because of the centre’s rising losses.

It says: “The NUJ announced its strike action the day after the Tindle board made an impassioned plea to all staff, including journalists, at the Enfield newspaper centre to work together to try to come up with new revenue-producing ideas to stem the centre’s rising losses in the recession.

“Staff were told that no new people could possibly be taken on nor any pay increased since any such action would be irresponsible given the ongoing losses.

“Enfield staff were reminded that Tindle Newspapers is the only newspaper group to have avoided redundancies among journalists in the recession to date.

“They were told that Tindle is a family company which put staff and their families first in all decisions.”

5 comments

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  • April 14, 2011 at 12:21 pm
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    Sounds like the strikers are in danger of cutting off the hand that feeds them…

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  • April 15, 2011 at 8:53 am
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    As a life member of the NUJ I fully understand why people have voted for industrial action but it should always be a last resort. Try talking again if possible. Unlike the other newspaper groups Tindle Newspapers – as I understand it – has not made people redundant, which is to be applauded. Think hard, colleagues, you could be shooting yourselves in the foot.

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  • April 15, 2011 at 10:41 am
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    You won’t see me defending senior newspaper managers very often, but at least this lot has bothered to speak out and try and explain their position. Unlike managers from a couple of other companies I could mention. Having said that the staffing levels sound dire, so I do sympathise with the strikers. Personally, I work in a once bustling newspaper office which is now almost deserted at times during the week. Not much fun being in a dying industry…

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  • April 15, 2011 at 10:44 am
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    They made not have made any compulsory redundancies, but not replacing staff who leave is redundancy through the back door. There is only so much extra work any person can take on and I suppose these journalists have gone beyond their tipping point. Hopefully, strike action will make management sit up and take notice, but I suspect it won’t. Do they not realise that if the paper has quality, relevant, new to its readership, it may well halt the decline in revenue?

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  • April 21, 2011 at 9:18 am
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    I Heard The General Office Manager within the advertising department was made redundant a couple of years ago, due to the reccession, so the statement that they have not made anyone redundant is not ENTIRELY accurate

    I APPLAUD the chapel and wish mr Lovett and the team the best of luck in their quest to get their voices heard.

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