Staff at Johnston Press have criticised plans by the company to pay bonuses to its two top executives worth one and a half times their normal salary.
The company’s annual report published last month revealed that chief executive Ashley Highfield will be able to earn up to 180pc of salary and finance director David King up to 150pc cent.
But the National Union of Journalists’ JP group chapel is questioning the incentive scheme, saying journalists and other staff suffered double-figure wage cuts in real terms as workloads rise.
The company’s annual results showed it has reduced its headcount by almost 1,600 over the past two years.
The group chapel said in a statement: “These bonuses will be hard to swallow for our members, who continue to face unmanageable workloads and stress. The bonuses are linked to performance targets, so it seems the hard work of staff at the company will be used to secure huge payments for top level management.
“Worryingly, the company has stated its intention to extend the target-driven culture by introducing performance related pay for editorial staff, a system we feel would be unworkable and unfair.
“It is also worrying that the JP management is being incentivised to introduce editorial policies which undermine quality journalism and photography by increasing ‘user generated content’.
“Staff have faced double-figure wage cuts in real terms in recent years, yet continue working under increasingly tough conditions to make sure the company’s newspapers and websites are published. We hope the company recognises their efforts during wage negotiations with the NUJ in the coming year.”
Laura Davison, NUJ national organiser added: “Staff at Johnston Press are under pressure as a result of increased workloads and reduced headcount. For example figures in the report show there has been a 189 per cent increase in the number of video uploads over the past year.
“The board may have exercised discretion when it comes to awarding bonuses at the top but journalists on the ground have had no discretion over job cuts and having to work harder to fill gaps left by valued colleagues.
“This reads like cuts at the bottom to fund pay-outs in the boardroom, despite management missing all but 1 performance target over the year, including the target on staff satisfaction. It totally discredits the idea of introducing performance pay for staff.”
There has been no further comment so far from Johnston Press.
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Oh well, it seems that bosses of JP have been having lessons from
bankers.
I truly don’t know how they sleep in their beds at night,
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The whole company is a joke to work for.
There isn’t enough resources or staff which means things go wrong and the quality suffers.
There are too many managers that don’t know what they are doing on higher salaries that they don’t deserve.
I’m glad I can say I don’t work there any more.
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That’s modern business, I’m afraid. You move in with a contract, sack all the workers, and the shareholders praise you for returning a healthy balance sheet. Before the company starts to crumble, you move on to another country, perhaps another continent, and start all over again. It helps when you know all the right buzzwords, have a few good mates, and local politicians who can’t see beyond their own back yards.
Journalists, printers, ad reps, they are all lambs for the slaughter.
Shareholders in Durant, Oklahoma, don’t care what happens in Westonzoyland (Somerset), they only want the dollars.
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Less staff to manage equals more pay for management. Of course!
But lets not forget digital, the saviour that isn’t, and a fraction of a penny per click income will soon pay for those bonuses.
Meanwhile, remaining readers will wonder where their local journalists have gone, the offices, and why their papers and websites are full of mobile phone pics?
Like Rover Cars, looks like a managed demise while a few walk away rich for life.
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Vive la Revolution!
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Whilst we bemoan AH for his ‘deserved’ bonus, did we not pass by the chance to stand united against this ?
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Really? Short memories, the previous two CEOs left JP with nothing other than a bunch of debt for a bunch of papers no one was reading, without the cuts and strong direction to digital, supported by papers – as is the case in the rest of the real world – there would be no JP, I say fair dues for having a pair of kahoonahs AH
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