Journalists at Johnston Press are up in arms over plans by the company to cut mileage rates for staff.
The National Union of Journalists claims the publisher wants to reduce the amount paid to staff using their own cars from 45p to 25p.
Now they have written to chief executive Ashley Highfield urging him to reconsider the proposal.
In a statement issued yesterday evening, the company said it was listening to feedback from staff and working to resolve any issues.
According to the NUJ, the change was due to come into effect in November but has now been rescheduled for next month.
A statement from the JP group chapel said: “There is a huge amount of anger among members throughout the company who are united in their opposition to these proposals.
“We have seen evidence that Johnston Press originally intended to introduce this change in November, which makes it even harder to accept the decision not to consult staff in any way and to give them just 24 hours’ notice about this reduction in mileage rates.
“We haven’t even had anything in writing about this substantial change to our terms and conditions.”
The union says many local NUJ chapels have written to regional managing directors to object to the plans and some have voted to withdraw their own cars for business use.
A spokesperson for the chapel said: “The reduction in mileage rates will heavily impact on our members, particularly photographers, sports reporters and staff who have no longer have an office.
“It not only wipes out any minimal pay rises staff have received in recent years, but will also prevent them doing their jobs properly.
“Reps have told us there are no pool cars available at their offices or that it costs more to get a bus from their new out-of-town office into the centre than it would to drive and claim 45p per mile. It brings the whole idea that this is a justifiable cost-saving measure into question.”
The group chapel has asked the company to demonstrate how savings will be made and what savings it expects to make.
Laura Davison, NUJ national organiser, said: “The company has made much of giving staff the right tools for the job and talks about journalists working from their patches when it is trying to justify closing or relocating offices – but this move will make it prohibitively expensive for our members to use their own cars to do that and suitable alternatives are not in place.”
A Johnston Press spokeswoman said: “We are listening to the feedback from our teams and are working closely with them to resolve any issues.”
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The answer to this outrage is to stop using your own cars.
If it is not in your contract of employment to provide a car for your work then you should tell the company that from now on you will use only public transport or taxis paid for by the company.
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JP should be ashamed of themselves. I’m sure staff will make their views clear in this year’s dismal staff survey
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Disgraceful. Once again. I doubt 25p even covers the petrol, never mind the cost of insurance and maintainance. Tony is correct. JP can kiss my proverbial if they think I’m ever using my own car for anything ever again.
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Yet still some executives are swanning around in company BMWs, Audis and Insignias.
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This is absolutely appalling and is going to affect quality journalism.
Reporters should be encouraged to go out MORE on interviews not less.
But who can blame them for now refusing to do this when it will now actually cost them money to use their own cars?
All JP is doing is putting another nail in its coffin as instead of award winning journalism, their papers will be pull of cut and paste churnalism which people can do while chained to their desks.
Total suicide and bound to lead to a mass exodus of talent.
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How typical of JP to close offices and then slash the mileage rates of reporters who now have to drive further to get to their “patches”. Does the hierarchy actually want all editorial staff to stomp off in a huff? Maybe that’s the plan?
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oh good, move our office out of town then pay us less when we have to drive to jobs
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Appalling when JP waste income on Oliver Awards, JP Awards, which only reward the few, and unnecessary re-rbanding of The Yorkshire Post, plus six figure sum for ad campaign. But staff that create their products are teated so badly. With so many offices now out of town, using public transport isn’t even an option. I’d say, retain your spend on mileage. If that means making half as many journeys, so be it. Management clearly isn’t too concerned about the quality, and in many cases appearance, of their titles these days, so why should you? That’s difficult when you enjoy your work and are good at your job. But this is JP … they don’t value YOU.
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I’m just surprised that anyone is surprised. Just when you think JP can sink no lower…
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Don’t worry, JP journos, the NUJ is on the case. No worries there, then!
TC makes the shrewd and valid point that those affected should simply refuse to use their vehicles, but only if their contract of employment does not require them to supply their own car.
The real issue is the growing number of newspaper groups who think they can (and should) treat their staff like common serfs. Trouble is,if the real journos walk out, their places will be taken by untrained — and,in some cases, uneducated — “citizen journalists” churning out drivel at an alarming rate.
Oh, for another Bob Crow to come to the rescue!
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There are two solutions: everyone strike or everyone leave.
It is pointless putting up with the constant water torture of endless erosion of pay and conditions, which will only continue.
JP is relying on the fact the people believe that any job is better than none. There is a point when that ceases to be the case. A point which is rapidly approaching. How long before we have to pay them to work there?
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Absolute desperation from JP this: buy own car, insure for business use, get fuel at xxx a litre…. It suggests a company about to go to the wall.
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I wonder if any of the protagonists in the thread below would like to say anything?
http://htfpnew.adaptive.co.uk/2014/news/we-can-do-without-an-office-editor-tells-readers/
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Nothing surprises me about this company. It’s their stupidity that is astonishing. After a few days of us refusing to use our own cars, catching the bus, squabbling over pool cars etc they realised it was counter-productive and announced a rethink. Another PR own goal.
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But will JP still claim 45p per mile in tax relief from HMRC? If so, what is happening to the remaining 20p that HMRC has calculated as fair recompense to employees using their own vehicles?
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When I was a reporter my insurance company charged me quite a lot extra to use my car for work, on the grounds that journalists and publicans were a higher risk than Joe Public.
If that’s still the case then of course reporters should be paid the right amount for using their cars. It isn’t just the cost of fuel but also insurance and repairs. Servicing also comes round sooner when you use your car for work as well as travelling to the office and my employer (who wasn’t known for generosity) always paid the recommended AA rate.
I’ve worked with young reporters who can barely afford to run cars so how can they afford to subsidise JP?
Unfortunately, I agree with the comment above that it sends out a very bad message to investors that JP must be in dire straits if it can’t afford mileage costs. Will managers be giving up their fuel guzzling company cars to save money?
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Ex-sub UK,
I would expect the share price to go up with this news. This is what the City likes to hear – a tight ship,
However, it is an old, hopefully apocryphal, adage, that you should get worried when your firm stops the daily newspapers and flowers in the reception.
As JP is getting rid of the receptionists and receptions – and the buildings we should be afraid – very afraid!
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Ask for a pool car and stop using your personal car for business use, simples
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Highfield’s objective seems to be to make life so miserable that it becomes intolerable and staff will walk away – without redundancy. There’s even talk that some being given redundancy may have to wait for payment.
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Now here’s a wheeze for JP – why not stop paying journos altogether and get them to pay for working for you? It is obviously such a happy organisation to work for that I am sure there will be plenty of takers for the new terms and conditions.
For decades JP and other regional newspaper group managements have exploited the the enthusiasm and goodwill of their journos and rewarded them with redundancy and uncertainty and ever deteriorating terms and conditions.
Thank heavens at least JP are investing wisely on that golden future that is the definite article. The Yorkshire Post, indeed – now that’s the kind of bold management decision that is going to save us all.
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If you hadn’t thought morale could be lowered any more, think again! Reporters are being trodden down every day, being told to video everything under the sun while having expenses sliced. Getting public transport is all well and good, but who is going to fill the pages while we wait for the bus?
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There’s also the health and safety issue of staff using public transport. Apart from the fact that rural areas are not well served with buses so reporters may find they can’t physically get to Sunday jobs etc. is it safe for women in particular to be hanging around bus / rail stations late at night to get back from council meetings?
Perhaps it’s time for those shiny executive motors to be designated pool cars so that while editors are editing, their motors can be used by reporters / snappers? Readers will also be impressed by staff rolling up in the latest edition of the Insignia.
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Good to see the NUJ getting involved. Its general secretary Michelle Stanistreet has special expertise in this this area. Last year, on top of her £64,389 salary, she claimed £20,902 in expenses including £11,763 for travel, £2,146 for phone calls and broadband, £1,478 subsistence, £1,943 for entertaining and hospitality and £2,625 for childcare. What mileage rate is she on?
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Lou, I appreciate it’s not ideal but you can claim the additional 20p per mile back from HMRC at the end of the tax year yourself as Mileage Allowance Relief. All you need to do is ensure that your employer records your journeys and any payments correctly so that you can claim any additional tax relief later.
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