Journalists at Johnston Press have decided against taking industrial action over the company’s current pay freeze.
The National Union of Journalists held a consultative ballot members across JP group chapels after the publisher announced its pay freeze would continue for another six months.
But while the ballot results showed there was “unhappiness” about the pay freeze, the question on whether members would be prepared to take part in industrial action received what union officials say was a “varied” response.
Scottish NUJ organiser Paul Holleran said talks were now taking place on a regional and national level with JP over the continuing pay freeze, staffing levels and the introduction of new technology.
Said Paul: “It threw up quite a bit of information for us. The different officials have approached JP management and there are now talks taking place across the group.
“It was really for us to gather information about the strength of feeling on certain issues. As soon as we went back to management, they were happy to speak.
“The concerns they raised with us are the pay freeze, staffing levels and the demands to do digital work without the equipment being up to scratch.
“The company has said they will discuss all of that with us.”
He said the union was not releasing figures on how many journalists took part in the consultative ballot but there were responses from nearly every chapel.
Johnston Press had not responded to requests for a comment at the time of publication. The publisher announced in January that its pay freeze would continue for another six months, putting salary reviews on hold until July at the earliest.
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What’s the matter with the Journos of today? Do they like being walked over? Where’s their pride?
Their bosses are showing nothing but contempt for them.
The next story on HTFP reveals a senior executive leaving Johnston Press at the end of this month will receive a package totalling £825,000 under the terms of his departure.
Enough said.
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Hacked off is right about the JP director’s mammoth pay-off.
It will be interesting to see what happens the next time our industry “leaders” go cap in hand to the Government whinging about the regional advertising downturn and begging for some sort of publicly-funded bung to help keep them afloat.
I imagine the minister will gleefully refer them to the eye-watering £825,000 which the regional press obviously thinks is a reasonable sum for one man’s retirement package before ordering them out of the office.
Awkward.
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I do not think industrial action should be taken lightly but so long as pay freezes are not fought against there is no incentive for employers to stop.
The first thing they look for now for savings is employee’s pay.
“They didn’t fight it for the last two years, why will they now?”
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I agree with ‘House Rules’ that employees need to make some kind of stand if employers are to stop or change current practices but strikes within JP have been spectacularly unsuccessful. Milton Keynes, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire – all failed.
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Sooner or later someone is going to come on to this thread whingeing about toothless NUJ lefties paying too much attention to world injustice & not enough to their members, etc etc. The trouble is, local journalism has been riddled with anti-trade unionists since before the 1978-9 dispute. That feeling is still there…and this is the result. Even when the union tries to do something to support its members, it gets no support back. Idiots.
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Too many people sitting on the fence and not willing to stand up for their rights. No good whingeing on HTFP about JP shoddiness if you are not prepared to DO something about it.
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Glad I left
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Righto, Mr ‘Ardacre.
Tha knows best.
Please stub oot tha cigar in me ‘and…
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Why is the union not saying how many people took part in the ballot? Journos are always harping on about people and organisations not being transparent, so why not release the figure no matter how low it is?
Presumably Mr Holleran does not want to highlight the apathy which is rife in the NUJ and chapels these days.
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I voted to strike. Thought it was a no brainer. Wrong again!
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