Journalists at Sheffield daily The Star are to stage a 48-hour strike next week in the continuing row over plans to axe up to 10 subbing jobs.
National Union of Journalists members in the city voted for strike action last Friday in protest at plans to dismantle the production hub created there last year.
The action has now been scheduled to begin on Wednesday and to continue the following day.
The union had been asking managers at Johnston Press-owned Sheffield Newspapers to guarantee there would be no compulsory redundancies under reorganisation plans at the ‘hub.’
Northern organiser Chris Morley said: “The decision to strike was taken at an exceptionally well-attended meeting of our NUJ chapel.
“Journalists had held back for some time from taking industrial action, but they have reached the stage where they have had enough from a management which has acted arrogantly towards our members and the community they seek to serve.
“The company has refused to give our members the reasonable guarantees they need; we believe management must now sit up and take notice.”
“The company has endeavoured to minimise the impact of this restructuring by offering voluntary redundancy and having over 23 roles open for redeployment in the North Midlands/South Yorkshire region. Indeed, we are confident there will be few, if any, compulsory redundancies.
“Regrettably the NUJ has decided to give notice of its intention to take this action. We will continue to communicate and consult with our staff in the hope that a sensible arrangement can be reached.
“Should the strike proceed, we have taken steps to ensure the quality and frequency of our publications will not suffer as a result of the NUJ action in Sheffield.”
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Very best of luck to the strikers…
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Congratulations and best wishes to Sheffield NUJ members in their fight for jobs. There is no alternative. Solidarity
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Good luck to all Sheffield journalists. Don’t back down – stick to your guns.
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So.. creating a hub in Horsham but dismantling one in Sheffield? I’m confused.com
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Picket line one day dole line the next ! Still it all keeps Chris Morley in job that he wouldnt have kept with M brum.
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I beleive that the journalists are acting under the misapprehension that Johnston Press gives a stuff for ‘news’ and ‘comment’. It is just a holding pen to front up with some bits of story, whilst keeping the rest at bay. As an illusion artist it does a good job. An organisation which values news, it aint.
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And I note that it has taken over a large area of our ‘local press’.. so keeping the lid on news beocmes easier and easier.
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All the best Star editorial.
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Congratulations to the Sheffield Chapel for inventing a time machine. I hope they have fun in the 1970s.
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