Staff at The Herald, Evening Times and Sunday Herald fear more redundancies are on the way, after being told that the company is expecting a huge shortfall in advertising revenues.

The company says it needs to make millions of pounds of savings before the end of the summer. It is refusing to rule anything out.

Glasgow-based Newsquest (Herald & Times) has told staff its advertising revenue forecast shows a “considerable gap” for the remainder of 2007.

It is thought the shortfall is between two and three million pounds.

According to the National Union of Journalists, the company has said that cuts are on the agenda, and many fear jobs will be hit again.

At a joint chapel meeting last night a vote of no confidence in managing director Tim Blott, and the company, was passed.

Around 80 staff from across the three newspapers left the company in a round of redundancies last year, which were blamed on a shortfall in the UK advertising market.

NUJ Scottish organiser Paul Holleran told HoldtheFrontPage: “Last time they came looking for job cuts and we are not anticipating anything different.

“The company is looking for people to make proposals, but unless they take the lead off the roof and sell the tables and chairs I don’t see what can be done.

“We are looking for the company to invest and spend money and they are looking for massive savings, so there is conflict.”

As well as possible redundancies, it is feared that some departments at the three newspapers could be merged.

Newsquest (Herald & Times) managing director Tim Blott told HoldtheFrontPage that a number of proposals were currently being considered, and would not rule anything out.

Tim said: “We have had some very constructive proposals, not from the NUJ but from other areas of the business.”

He added: “We spend millions of pounds each year in quality editorial in Scotland which is why we win more awards than virtually any other publisher. We invest and will continue to invest to ensure we produce the best quality editorial in Scotland.”