Journalists at a regional daily have voted for strike action in a dispute over job cuts, staffing levels and working hours.
Members of the National Union of Journalists at the North West Evening Mail have voted 96pc in favour of striking – with 26 people for and just one vote against.
It comes after the CN Group, which publishes the Cumberland News and the News & Star in Carlisle and the Evening Mail in Barrow, announced up to 29 jobs across its titles were at risk of redundancy last month as it looked to “ensure a stable financial position in 2011″.
The union says ‘severe cuts’ are being planned at the sub-editing section of the paper and one NUJ member is now facing compulsory redundancy.
It also said management has imposed a new one-shift system at the title to replace the previous three-shift system and the chapel will now scrutinise how this is implemented.
NUJ Northern and Midlands organiser Chris Morley said: “The chapel is determined to fight deteriorating working conditions. Members are not prepared to see a substantially increased workload on those who remain.
“Health and safety is already under threat from long hours and journalists on the North West Evening Mail fear that the planned reorganisation will make things worse.”
Jonathan Lee, publishing director at the paper, said: “We are aware of the result of the ballot. We are not aware of the union contemplating any action at this stage.”
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As usual it is the workers on the front line that bear the brunt of these cuts. There are dozens of directors and managers on fat salaries that cut be done away with to “ensure a stable financial position in 2011″. Before long, too many chiefs and not enough indians will ensure there won’t be any product at all…
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Sadly, I would imagine the guys at Barrow don’t know they’re born, compared to conditions at JP, Newsquest or Northcliffe. A three-shift subbing rota for a tiddly little 1½ edition evening? Blimey! It was worse than that when I was there in the 80s. And CN hasn’t got a lot of managers on fat salaries with whopping head office expenses, unlike the big guys, and it doesn’t make double-figure profit margins, either. It’s a cold gale out there, guys, but you’re only just feeling the draught!
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Well Hilary, it must have been a good while since you were at CN, because there are a lot of managers these days, in made up jobs that don’t do anything. These £35K+ salaries and company cars should be the first to go. Oh, and I think your comment about the how “the guys at Barrow don’t know they are born,” is more than a bit patronising.
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Patronising it may be, but I have worked for Newsquest and Northcliffe and believe me, CN is paradise by comparison. Just as a for instance, I, as a mere sub, was on corridor chatting terms with Robin Burgess. Doubt if this could be said of anyone in the big groups! There were always people who complained, of course, but most of them had never worked anywhere else, so yes, they didn’t know they were born. i will admit, however, that my experience of CN ended in 2003. Things will have changed for the worse since, but nothing like as much as they have elsewhere, I’ll bet.
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