A day of action is being held by journalists in Norwich to drum up support for their fight against job cuts.

Staff from Archant Norfolk will be in the city centre tomorrow in protest against the company’s plans to cut the editorial payroll by 34 staff.

The cuts affect staff on the Eastern Daily Press, Norwich Evening News and associated weekly newspapers and websites and would also see a new editorial system put in place and a merged newsroom.

Original plans to lose 54 posts were revised by Archant earlier this week, bring the number down by 20 jobs.

Pete Kelley, father of chapel at NUJ Archant Norfolk, said: “We owe this climbdown from 54 jobs to a massive campaign of support from the community.

“We’ve had letters of support ranging from individual readers to MPs – all telling this company loud and clear that good local newspapers are an important part of community life and a vital part of our democracy.

“We thought we’d have a job on our hands to explain to the public what they could be losing but they’ve proven to us that they understand very well and they are firmly on our side.

“The proposed loss of 34 is still a massive cut in editorial staff. Taking out the news reporters, who’ve been told their jobs are safe, it represents around 25pc of the remaining editorial strength.

“We know, of course, that there is a recession on. Lots of people are suffering but this cut is completely disproportionate in an industry which has seen an average cut in editorial strength closer to 10pc or 12pc over the last year.

“In addition, we are arguing that the process is unfair, and possibly illegal. All the available jobs should have been thrown open for everyone to apply for.”

The protest takes place outside The Forum, Norwich, between 11am and 2pm.

Archant had not responded to a request for comment at the time of publication.