Journalists from MEN Media’s weekly newspapers will have a new pay grade as part of an agreement reached between the company and the NUJ.

A joint statement issued today said this new grade would take effect from 2010 and would apply to journalists previously working solely for weeklies such as the Stockport Express and Accrington Observer.

The agreement comes in the wake of protests against the company’s proposals to shut district offices, centralise editorial functions at the Manchester Evening News offices and make 78 editorial redundancies.

As part of this new agreement, 11 Manchester Evening News journalists will be made compulsorily redundant which the company says is a reduction of five from earlier proposals.

The total number of editorial redundancies across MEN Media has also been reduced to 70, down from the original figure of 78, and these are expected to take place later this year.

The NUJ has declared its recent ballots for industrial action to be null and void.

The statement added: “Talks will start immediately on a new house agreement to encompass all three NUJ chapels.

“The agreement means that all MEN Media journalists will be based in Scott Place, Manchester, by early October 2009.

“Both MEN Media and the NUJ record their intention to work together to ensure the editorial re-structure is successful and that this agreement, reached after a great deal of negotiation, should become a landmark in their future relationship.

“They also record their commitment to the newspapers they produce and the communities, readers and advertisers they serve.”

Comments

Wanger (16/04/2009 09:28:45)
Bloody hell, a victory for the NUJ.
Whatever next?

Mr_Osato (16/04/2009 11:52:00)
Pity they chose not to continue the fight – but the fact that 36 weekly newspaper journalists volunteered for redundancy tells its own story about how little faith they have in GMG. Still, even as the newspapers are butchered there’s plenty of money for Channel M and Real Radio.

Charlie (20/04/2009 17:08:41)
It’s hardly a win. The editorial offices are closing forever – which means journalists preparing to leave education now will have nowhere to work. It is pitiful that the MEN thought only of their own situations and nothing for the future.
Staff are already struggling toget out decent papers – and the repetition of news is appalling. Never mind the MEN weekly in ten years … I doubt it will even exist. It hs been run into the ground by bad management who bought all the weeklies and destroyed them too.