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Three more Newsquest centres vote for strike action

Further strikes by journalists look set to take place at Newsquest titles after union members at three more centres voted for action.

Members of the National Union of Journalists in Bolton, Blackburn and Bradford have voted to walk out over the continuing pay freeze at the group and cuts.

NUJ Northern and Midlands assistant organiser Lawrence Shaw posted on Twitter that strike action had been voted for at the centres – with 100pc in favour at Blackburn, 74pc in Bolton and 90pc in Bradford.

It comes after 48-hour strikes this week by journalists at the Southern Daily Echo and Brighton’s The Argus and further votes taking place at other centres including York and Oxford – which could lead to a nationwide strike at Newsquest on 6-7 January.

The vote for action at Newsquest Bradford titles comes after they were told last month about a plan to merge the daily and weekly newsrooms – with 18 journalists under threat of redundancy and having to apply for 16 posts.

And NUJ members in Blackburn and Bolton are unhappy about the company’s continuing pay freeze – which has meant they have not had a rise since 2008.

Journalists at Newsquest Darlington have also voted to take strike action after plans to merge subbing teams were revealed.

And the NUJ announced earlier this month it was launching a national campaign against Newsquest to put collective pressure on the company.

Newsquest chief executive Paul Davidson was not available for comment at the time of publication.

15 comments

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  • December 9, 2010 at 9:49 am
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    Newsquest chief executive Paul Davidson was not available for comment at the time of publication. I can only imagine he is enjoying a holiday in the sun, funded by his 21% pay rise!

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  • December 9, 2010 at 10:07 am
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    Pity we’re not all in it together with the tight lipped Mr. Davidson!

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  • December 9, 2010 at 10:22 am
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    How much work can Davidson do in a day that justifies his salary compared with loads of poorly paid young reporters who work extremely hard getting papers filled. Sure, he should be paid extra for responsibility and any management skills he might possess- but the feeling is there is far too big a gap between execs pay and the real workers on the ground. Don’t underestimate the resentment this causes in today’s climate.

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  • December 9, 2010 at 10:44 am
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    spot on paid a pittance. The gaps in pay are too big in all industries- not just the media. Something will give and it could be the temper of the general public.

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  • December 9, 2010 at 11:05 am
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    These mainly young strikers may sadly find it’s “kami-kazee” with Newsquest saving on pay witheld and still bringing out papers. The company is likely to be hardly hindered by these strikes. That’s the awful likely end result.

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  • December 9, 2010 at 11:35 am
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    Realist: If those strikes continue to spread, Newsquest will at last have to take notice. Perhaps the strikers should take it in their pockets and come out for a week – that would really hurt. Meanwhile…I don’t think Paul Davidson really exists!

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  • December 9, 2010 at 11:59 am
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    Realist, what sort of Newsquest office do you work in where the strikers are “mainly young”? I’ve never heard such rollocks in my life. And if the management do bring out papers, and if they’re anything like the last paper they brought out when we took successful action at Newsquest North-East two years ago (when the main news item was a 1,000-word ramble into the demise of morris dancing in the Yorkshire Dales) then the best of British luck to them with bells on. I’m sure the advertisers will be flocking to give them money. Bring it on.

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  • December 9, 2010 at 12:07 pm
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    the main news item was a 1,000-word ramble into the demise of morris dancing in the Yorkshire Dales That would be hilarious – if it were true.

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  • December 9, 2010 at 12:43 pm
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    Morris dancing. The Northern Echo, January 7, 2009. First with the news. And the bells.

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  • December 9, 2010 at 12:47 pm
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    Can we have a link to this legendary morris dancing tale Lister?

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  • December 9, 2010 at 12:54 pm
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    It will be in the Echo’s online archive, Hackwatcher, if you would care to look yourself.

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  • December 9, 2010 at 2:44 pm
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    Lister – how was the ‘industrial action’ from two years ago successful? I’m a little confused by that bold claim.

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  • December 9, 2010 at 3:58 pm
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    E mail Paul Davidson constantly and block up his in box

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  • December 10, 2010 at 10:13 am
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    Confused: let me explain as simply as I can, although I guess you’ll have trouble digesting it because I’ve a feeling you’re one of those management types who hides under the desk when the phone rings but is more than eager to snipe from the sidelines. Two years ago, Newsquest announced 19 compulsory redundancies at Darlington. Following a day of action by the chapel, during which the management was forced to produce its unique edition of the now legendary Morris Dancing News, that figure was reduced to 11.5 redundancies – only two of which were compulsory. In my book that’s a success, but in yours it probably isn’t because you are, after all, Confused.

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