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Rotherham journalists consider new pay deal

National Union of Journalists members at the Rotherham Advertiser are considering a new pay deal put forward by the paper’s management.

Members at the paper held a six-day strike at the end of August in protest of a 2.3 per cent pay offer and had been calling for a ten per cent increase.

A 14-day strike was also planned, but was called off by the NUJ as a “gesture of goodwill” after the Advertiser said it was open to talks – but only if the members resumed normal working.

After two meetings between the two sides the company has now put forward an improved deal with new pay scales, which the NUJ says could see some wages increase by up to 9.6 per cent if the chapel was to agree.

However, editor Doug Melloy said that most of the journalists would still receive an increase of 2.3 per cent.

He said: “The company’s offer remains an all-round 2.3 per cent increase, but we have also taken the opportunity to adjust house agreement scales to make the compatible with the differentials established in the original agreement.

“As a result some scales have gone up and others down while during the course of this four-month dispute some journalists have triggered service increments to which they were entitled anyway.

“As a result most of the journalists will still receive an increase of 2.3 per cent, with an increase of 7.7 per cent being applied to one post-holder which was not sought by the NUJ in the first place.

“The revised rates will apply from when agreement is reached, but there will be no back-dating element.”

The new pay scales would see trainees earning £13,708; seniors between £17,229 and £17,746 and sub-editors between £17,510 and £18,677.

Anyone paid above the rates is being offered the original 2.3 per cent.

A female NUJ member who was being paid less than an equivalent male is also to receive around £5,000 in back pay, dating back to 1997.

However the NUJ says it still wants any deal backdated to June 1. The chapel is expected to discuss the deal early next week.

There are 15 journalists at the paper, of whom 13 are NUJ members.

The Advertiser is run by Garnett-Dickinson, which also owns a contract print works.

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