Journalists at South Yorkshire Newspapers are challenging a claim by owner Johnston Press that the company maintains “satisfactory” employee relations.

Members of the National Union of Journalists yesterday rejected a pay offer of just over three per cent and triggered its disputes procedure for the second time in two years.

The chapel will now call in conciliation service ACAS in an attempt to broker a deal before considering a ballot for industrial action.

The Doncaster-based journalists also take issue with the wording of a 136-page prospectus issued to shareholders in advance of a meeting tomorrow to secure approval for a £200m refinancing deal.

It states: “Directors believe that Johnston Press’ relations with its employees and the trade unions are satisfactory.”

In their own statement, chapel members said: “Staff are simply not prepared to see their paltry pay levels decrease in real terms each year by accepting rises which don’t even keep pace with inflation.

“Union members are also disgusted at the company’s attempt to ramp up workloads at the cost of both editorial quality and staff welfare by spawning numerous websites without adequate resourcing.

“It is a short-sighted policy which is likely to drive readers – and then advertisers – away from both our print and web-based products.”

The NUJ group, which represents the majority of journalists at the centre, held a 13-day strike in 2006 which eventually led to significant salary increases across most journalist grades within South Yorkshire Newspapers.

But they say pay at the flagship weekly still trails comparative average salaries in the region. Their figures show that graduate trainees earn just over £14,000 and section heads with decades of experience are on £23,500.

The union chapel has been in talks with management since early in the New Year.

It claims the company is set firm on its offer of increases ranging between 3.25 per cent and 3.6 per cent, with those towards the top of the editorial salary grades getting the marginally higher amount.

Comments

Supporter (29/05/2008 22:17:42)
Can anyone see a theme developing here? Journalists telling management that enough is enough when it comes to declining rates of pay.
When you get paid very little, it’s even more vital that your salary keeps up with inflation.