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No strike action at Cardiff papers, despite vote in favour

National Union of Journalists members at Trinity Mirror-owned newspapers in Cardiff say they won’t be taking strike action over job cuts.

More than 140 ballot papers went out, with 74 members voting for strike action against compulsory redundancies.

But no action will follow because enough volunteers have come forward to cover the ten journalists’ post being made redundant.

Cardiff NUJ spokesman Martin Shipton told HoldtheFrontPage members were still concerned about the future implications of the cuts, which Trinity Mirror has blamed on an industry-wide advertising slump.

He said: “Two years ago 21 journalists’ jobs went, and we are concerned that if the company doesn’t change its strategy in another two years there will be further cuts.”

His comments follow a meeting of the Welsh Assembly’s Culture, Welsh Language and Sport Committee, which is investigating the future of the Welsh print media following the announcement of the cuts.

Martin and NUJ general secretary Jeremy Dear gave evidence, along with Andrea Jones, the regional officer of Amicus, and Western Mail and Echo managing director Keith Dye.

During the meeting a report commissioned by the NUJ was presented which said that there was no justification for the job cuts.

Keith Dye told the committee that the company had invested heavily in Wales and had improved its titles, including a relaunch of the Western Mail in compact format.

He added that in the latest set of ABCs The Western Mail had seen a year-on-year increase of 4.1 per cent, Monday to Friday.

Trinity Mirror’s Cardiff operation includes The Western Mail, the South Wales Echo and Wales on Sunday, as well as a number of weekly titles.


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