A group-wide ballot of National Union of Journalists members in Johnston Press has resulted in a 70pc yes vote for strike action.

The vote, which closed at lunchtime today, saw 346 ballot papers returned, with 246 voting in favour of strike action, 101 voting against, and nine spoilt papers.

A separate vote on industrial action short of strike saw 296 in favour and 40 against, with ten spoilt papers.

Union reps are due to discuss their next move in a phone conference to take place next Tuesday at 6pm.

The vote is in response to what the union claims is the company’s refusal to enter into talks over the introduction of its controversial new Atex content management system.

Journalists at Scarborough-based Yorkshire Regional Newspapers are holding a one-day strike today over the issue.

Johnston Press has declined to comment on the result of the ballot.

Comments

Union UnRepResented (30/04/2010 15:24:56)
What rubbish, its just the lazy ones in the office spitting their dummy out yet again – if they took the time to actually learn the system (as we all had to) they would understand and appreciate the system. Instead they just whine and complain as they always do whenever change is suggested, no different from last time.

Scribbler (30/04/2010 15:38:54)
Lazy? LAZY?? This person obviously isn’t a journalist or is living in non-Atex, cloud-cuckoo land. I and my colleagues have been working 10, 12, 14 hours without breaks to get to grips with this unwieldy system. JP has introduced a complex content management system while sacking the very people who could have at least bedded it in, resulting in stressed-out staff.

Can’taffordbills (30/04/2010 15:41:13)
Union unrepresented – I have been on £17k for five years with JP as a reporter. I complain constantly but am grateful to have a job so suck it up.
Now I’m being told I also have to be a sub but I won’t be getting a payrise. And whilst most staff have been told a payfreeze is being lifted, I am one of the few whose won’t be lifted for another year.
How can you possible have a go at staff for being disgruntled?!?

Fed Up! (30/04/2010 16:07:13)
17k Can’taffordbills!! that’s good! i’m on 15k after 3 years as a web developer… single parent 2 kids, did 2 peoples jobs for 6 months for nothing more than a parking permit. LUCKY? yes I suppose I am. I need my job to support my family. It sucks really.
I work hard, but feel unmotivated, it’s not the Atex system it’s JP showing no loyalty or compassion to their staff who work hard and aren’t rewarded for it

Wolfie (30/04/2010 16:17:19)
Johnston Press has declined to comment. What’s the word? Rhymes with bosses? Rhymes with bankers?

DisgruntledLEEDS (30/04/2010 16:22:32)
What absolute tosh from UnRepResented to suggest it’s the “lazy” one’s who are striking.
I ask you UnRepResented: how would YOU feel if a system came into force that made you unemployed? Unable to pay your mortgage, feed your children? Is that not a big enough “change” – one that affects peoples very LIVES? Their futures?
I do hope you never face such an horrific time in your career because you never know, you may just find people like YOU showing abject disregard for your plight.
Hang your head in shame

Hacked off Hack (30/04/2010 16:24:34)
Union Unrepresented – You’re clearly clueless. Lazy is about the exact opposite of what most of the people affected by this are, mainly because we have no choice.
As a result of Atex’s arrival, jobs have been cut meaning those left behind have been over-worked, stressed as a result, and for no extra money.
It’s also not helped by the fact the system is so slow and often unusable, so ‘learning’ it is nigh on impossible.
JP have acted disgracefully for months and shouldn’t be allowed to get away with it.

Vexed By Atex (30/04/2010 16:27:14)
Union Unrepresented – You are clueless. Atex has been a living hell which has brought staff I know to the brink of serious self-harm because of the fact it is unworkable but JP keep on with their unrelenting pressure. It has become a matter of life and death in some places. Anyone with half a clue is well aware of the stress this has piled on very hard-working dedicated people. Your flippant remarks make me sick.

jp staffer (30/04/2010 16:38:17)
Atex is causing really serious concerns for the health of staff – it is that BAD

Sub-for-now (30/04/2010 17:14:30)
Union Unrepresented is an idiot. If the Atex workloads are such that people are having to work 10, 12 and 14 hour days without a break, as outlined by Scribbler, then it won’t be long before JP is facing massive payouts for staff whose health is wrecked. I’d be rather surprised if their insurance covered them in those circumstances.

Atex Hater (30/04/2010 18:43:49)
Lazy? Lazy? I will tell you how lazy I am Union UnRepResented. Ever since the shambolic Atex system was introduced I’ve worked late every single night. One night I was in the office until 10pm. Learning the system? Well, if you call half an hour of training JP’s teaching, then it leaves a lot to be desired. Its not a case of people necessarily being against change – but when its implemented with no thought, no forward planning and newspapers are left to suffer as a result, then the poor hacks of JP have to make a stand. We have finally had enough of the irresponsible management at all levels that has introduced this appalling Atex system on us.

prionmonkey (04/05/2010 10:50:49)
UnRepResented. You clearly are a company stooge or utterly brainless.
Artex is the worst bit of programming I have ever seen.

JP Cares About Its Staff (04/05/2010 11:54:52)
Union UnRepRepresented sounds like one of the jumped-up little ad reps – who don’t know what subs do, what a lead story is or what constitutes a short – who shamefully pushed this Atex shambles onto us. An apologist for a stress-induing, useless and slow system which crashes every five minutes and has led to 12-14 hours working days (with no extra pay nor career progression) becoming a familiar theme.

The Snork Maiden (04/05/2010 15:48:59)
The clue is in the name: ‘Union UnRepResented’. Sounds like an ad rep, note the capitalisations.
Obvious case of trolling.

spooky (04/05/2010 15:54:21)
If the journalists were lazy – or cared as much about the integrity and quality of the titles as do Mr Fry and his mates then there’s hardly a paper in the group that would have made it onto the streets these past few weeks.
It’s only because these people care about their titles (and, yes, their jobs) that the whole enterprise hasn’t come crumbling down. But they can’t take much more. Good journalists are leaving in their droves, even in a recessed job marketplace. IF the recession ever lifts and decent alternatives do become available, the rest will follow and JP will be left with kids and ‘citizen journalists’ running the show. Sad times for local journalism and the communities they serve.