Newsquest is facing questions from Welsh ministers over its plans to shut a production hub set up with the help of a £245,000 government subsidy.
The Welsh government says it is “seeking confirmation” from the regional publisher over staffing levels at the Newport hub after it announced plans to cease all copy-editing there from 7 April with the loss of 14 jobs.
The Welsh government has previously provided £245,808 to Newsquest towards the creation of 50 jobs and the safeguarding of at least 15 jobs at the facility.
It says the award, made in 2015, was conditional on the jobs being in place until May 2020.
A Welsh government spokeswoman said: “In 2015 we provided £245,808 to Newsquest towards the creation of 50 jobs and the safeguarding of 15 jobs at it’s facility in Maesglas, Newport. The award was conditional on the jobs being in place until May 2020. This operation well exceeded its planned job creation target.
“We were very sorry to hear that Newsquest decided to undertake several rounds of redundancies at the operation during 2016, which has seen staffing levels reduce significantly.
“The group continued to employ a significant number of staff at the site for other related group editorial services. We are aware of this fresh report of further redundancies.
“We are seeking confirmation from the company and will be reviewing the staffing levels at the site in relation to their funding conditions in due course.”
The centre in Newport was responsible for copy-editing of scores of weekly and daily titles across the UK and at once point employed more than 70 people.
However much of the work has now moved to a sister hub in Weymouth and the publisher has now decided to centralise its operations there from 10 April.
Ken Smith, who chairs the National Union of Journalists’ Welsh Executive Council, said: “While the Welsh Government subsidy to Newsquest was undoubtedly well-intentioned, it failed to secure any improvement in news coverage in Wales, which in recent years has suffered from a rapid decline in the number of journalists employed.
“The subbing hub at Newport was mainly established by Newsquest to do the work of production journalists made redundant in England and Scotland.”
A Newsquest spokesman said: “We are in constant discussions with the Welsh government.”
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What I want to know is whether the so-called ‘subs’ even have ILM training.
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It’s almost as if Newsquest…had no idea what they were getting themselves into…and didn’t have a plan B. Probably just fake news.
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An FYI for ‘Supersub': I’m sure those subs (most of them lifelong journalists with decades of experience) will really appreciate you calling them ‘so-called.’
One last kicking before their P45s, eh?
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Ha superb! No wonder they’re always demanding some BBC coffers so they can prop up their ‘community service journalism’.
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Q; You owe us £245,000 for the subsidy you received under false pretences.
A: It’s not our fault if we don’t know what we’re doing.
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Ho Hum, look up, just above your forehead. If you are lucky you will see the joke swiftly whistling by.
😉
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Any experienced sub-editor will tell you, Supersub, if you have to explain something’s funny, then it probably isn’t.
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Let’s hope the Welsh Assembly stop these redundancies, or get their money back. The subs should have had their employment guaranteed for another three years – this is a rip off. Let’s hope everyone they made redundant gets three years pay in lieu of notice plus their redundancies and the bosses who thought they could play fast and loose with the cash get the push as well. Don’t think for one moment it will happen though,
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As a Supersub, you’ll know sarcasm/irony/jokes aren’t always obvious in print. Thirteen ‘likes’ suggest not just me it whistled past.
That’s why emoji were invented.
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Wow Supersub, you’re just so superior to everyone else out there. Must be hard having to mix everyday with ordinary mortals!
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I’m getting fed up with the comments on here, joke or not. People’s
jobs are at risk and you jokers are not going to pay my mortgage and bills. The people at the Newport Hub are damned hard workers and have been for years, and I don’t appreciate all the sniping and unpleasant comments, direct them at the bosses who are causing this. Mind you, the fact that supersub referred to ILM training suggests he or she was an inmate of the hub, so it WAS probably an ironic comment, everybody.
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The fact of the matter is NW we’re given funds with conditions,those conditions haven’t been met so not only should they pay every penny back with interest they should also retain all the staff currently at risk.
However subs, my advice is take the money and go, things aren’t going to get any better and there’s jobs out there for talented people, it’s the ones who remain I feel sorry for as they’ll be left behind in the job hunt when their numbers up which given time it will be
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