The National Union of Journalists has hit out at plans by DC Thomson to make up to 15 journalists redundant and is stepping up a recruitment campaign for new members.

The publisher announced proposals last week to cut 15 editorial positions across its newspaper teams, 10 of which are expected to be at The Sunday Post in Glasgow, to ‘achieve a more sustainable balance between production and content’.

But the NUJ says the shock announcement made to journalists at DC Thomson titles, which include The Courier, Evening Telegraph and Weekly News, was not the right way to behave towards staff and it has organised a series of meetings in Glasgow and Dundee.

The union has also positioned an ad trailer outside the company’s main newspaper offices in Dundee.

Scottish NUJ organiser Paul Holleran said: “It is not the way to behave towards loyal, long-standing members of staff.

“People are now clearly afraid for their jobs following this shock announcement and many have come to the NUJ for support and advice.

“We have organised meetings in Glasgow and Dundee for staff to come along and a series of informal meetings for journalists and other editorial workers unable to attend these meetings.”

The union says staff have been given a deadline of today to put their names forward if interested in taking voluntary redundancy.

DC Thomson said last week it planned to reduce its editorial team by 10 jobs in Glasgow, four in Dundee and one in London but it aimed to minimise the number of redundancies by managing vacancies and redeploying staff where possible.