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NUJ removes threat of industrial action

The threat of industrial action at a group of South Wales newspapers has been lifted by the National Union of Journalists.

The NUJ announced last week that it had voted in favour of strike action, or action short of striking, if any of its members in Trinity Mirror’s Media Wales division were made compulsorily redundant.

Voting took place after the company announced in September it would be shutting the Neath Guardian and Port Talbot Guardian and reducing the size of its magazine portfolio in the division.

The NUJ chapel said the withdrawal was made after Trinity Mirror confirmed that none of the redundancies being sought would be compulsory.

Media Wales, which publishes the Western Mail, the South Wales Echo, Wales on Sunday and the Celtic series of weeklies, is seeking to reduce its payroll by the equivalent of 13.2 positions.

Martin Shipton, father of the Media Wales NUJ chapel, said: “We are very pleased that industrial action will not now be necessary.

“Our clearly stated aim in these circumstances was to ensure that none of our members were forced to leave employment against their will and that has been achieved.

“We look forward to working with the company to ensure that new working arrangements do not create excessive workloads for those who remain.”

A Media Wales spokesperson said: “We are pleased that the NUJ has decided not to pursue this action.”