Journalists have threatened to walk out on strike over plans by a regional publisher to cut jobs.
Johnston Press wants to cut two chief photographer roles in Sheffield and Doncaster, and the equivalent of six full-time production roles ahead of the planned introduction of a new design process.
Members of the National Union of Journalists working for the Sheffield Star and sister paper the Telegraph fear the move will lead to compulsory redundancies.
Now the union says that unless it gets assurances that nobody will be forced to lose their job, it will ballot for industrial action.
Titles affected by the proposals include the two Sheffield papers, the Doncaster Free Press and Derbyshire Times.
A meeting is due to take place between managers and union representatives tomorrow in a bid to resolve the issue.
Chris Morley, the NUJ’s Northern and Midlands organiser, said: “The chapel decided that they would ballot if the company wasn’t able to give us a real assurance over compulsory job losses. We are meeting with them later this week.
“We have to have some tangible evidence that there are not going to be compulsory job losses.”
The cuts come after the Sheffield Telegraph editor and Star deputy editor were made redundant earlier this month.
Julia Armstrong, mother of chapel at the NUJ Sheffield Newspapers Chapel, said: “We already passed a motion of no confidence in our management after they axed one editor and deputy editor, because hard-pressed staff have to take on the work they do, and the latest redundancies were the last straw. The anger and demoralisation are huge.
“The company expects us to pay the price with our jobs for its poor investment decisions that have left it hock to the banks, who have just upped the interest rates on their loans. It’s getting so that people dread Fridays, as that’s when our MD keeps announcing job losses.”
It is understood eight production staff members are facing losing their jobs in total, five of whom work in Sheffield.
When he announced the proposed job cuts, John Bills, managing director of JP’s South Yorkshire and North Midlands business unit, said the company would attempt to minimise the impact through voluntary redundancy and re-deployment to alternative positions.
Johnston Press has declined to comment further.
Sign up for our free daily email bulletin
Follow HTFP on Twitter
Got a story? Email the Editor at
Best of luck NUJ members. How ironic that JP is currently advertising on this very site for a new ‘editorial designer’ in Sheffield and another in Peterborough. I’m just surprised they haven’t offered them the chance to relocate to India yet.
Report this comment
Having just been made redundant for the second time by JP, I feel I must respond to the union. Both times, they offered me paltry help, it was a case of more talk, less action. JP just bulldozes over the unions and their once loyal employees too. I applaud unions for their ideals, but sad to say they just don’t have the punch they once had. As for JP, it won’t be happy until it has completeley ruined the newspaper industry and destoryed the lives of talented individuals now forced to take what ever jobs they can to support their families. No doubt the bosses can still sleep soundly, until its their turn!
Report this comment
Escapee – wouldn’t be a bit surprised if that job ad was another example of JP’s right hand not knowing what it’s left is doing. “Whaddya mean, you’ve just appointed an editorial designer? We get that work done in India now – didn’t you know?”
Report this comment
Lot more Indians needed on “factory floor” and fewer junior managers not doing a lot of daily graft.
Report this comment
Heap trouble big reservations many moons.
Report this comment
The NUJ has now been reduced to less than a paper tiger.
None of the companies fear it in then slightest and it caves at every opportunity as the sad fact is that as more people drift away from the union the less power it has.
I was on an NUJ backed strike once which was meant to be two consecutive days at a daily.
The union late in the day buckled and made it a once day strike which the paper easily covered with none union members and submitted copy.
They can condemn job losses as much as they like but what are they actually doing?
Nothing as far as I can see.
Everywhere I have worked there have been job losses, often cutting the staff to the bone. In the end the company always gets what it wants in the end.
Report this comment
Third strike in South Yorkshire in as many years?
Report this comment
There have always been too many chiefs and not enough Indians at JP. I think the penny’s finally dropped, but they’ve misunderstood slightly!
Report this comment
Bloody awful company.
Report this comment
Any journalist who fritters away their salary on union fees is beyond help. The NUJ completely lacks teeth.
Report this comment
I fear that the South Yorkshire Chapel may have played their cards far too early, from the looks of how this is panning out. It also won’t have done them any favours to have played dirty on their last strike. Not only will they not have much punch, but they will also have little respect from the public and the managers. That said, this is an awful new era in the industry, where quantity (achieved by skeleton staff), is considered far more important than quality – and every one of us has particular pride in the quality that we were trained to produce.
Report this comment
I constantly hear how journalists are so angry against their publishers (be it JP, Northcliffe, Trinity Mirror, etc) why hasn’t anybody tried to do a nationwide strike from the many regionals and nationals? This would be the only way publishers would begin to listen to the many unhappy journalists out there…
Report this comment
I notice all the most viewed and commented on stories on HTFP this week relate to JP. Oh dear.
Report this comment
Are those with targets painted on their backs any good, does anyone know? Only I suspect they’re not dynamic content gathering forward-thing tree puller upping digi-embracing diamonds.
More likely fossils plodding along to extinction, dragging the rest of the newsroom down with their ridiculous tales of yesteryear, whilst submitting one photograph / copy-ready page complete per day.
Just saying.
If they are talented stars of tomorrow, they’ll get new JP jobs. It’s the dead wood Hi-Pads after, and there’s more of that knocking about than a sub-tropical rainforest, sponsored by Rymans.
Just saying, again.
ROFL
Report this comment
It seems JP editors have forgotten that they have a voice. They could be a powerful force if only they talked to each other, acted as one and stood up to be counted for a change….
Report this comment
Binary Boy. Isn’t it funny how those who describe others as ‘dead wood’ seem to have at very best a rudimentary understanding of the English language? I’ll extend the offer I’ve already made to (your possible alter-ego) Noonetoknow, would you like me to sub your copy so that it actually makes sense before publication?
Just saying.
Report this comment
dear Binary Boy,
At least some deadwood can spell ‘forward-thinking’
ROFL to you, too
Report this comment
I was made redundant by Newsquest four years ago.
It would be nice to think that the NUJ could achieve something by strike action. In reality they will get nowhere.
Newspapers are dying. No one know how to revive them. The best advice I can offer is to get out now while you are young enough to learn another skill. Difficult, I know.
Report this comment
Lessneutral…. I think you’ll find that now the cull extends to JP editors, both weekly and daily, and also to their deputies, they’re too busy looking over their shoulders to take any sort of action themselves.
JP is not a firm interested in quality, all they care about is getting rid of as many people as they can, as fast as they can, to pay the banks back.
This exciting digital strategy had better work, otherwise Ashley will be out on his ear like the rest of us. Some of the people I work with are taking voluntary redundancy because they believe the firm will be in administration before the end of the year. I’m starting to think they are right, the signs are ominous when the best staff who have no jobs lined up opt to go when they don’t have to.
Report this comment
For those of you bemoaning the union, instead of leaving and being bitter, why not stay, recruit more members, and make it bigger, stronger, and ultimately better…
You elect leadership, from chapel level upwards, so you only have yourselves to blame.
Report this comment
Haha!
The dead wood has surfaced. Throw it on the bonfire.
ROFL
Report this comment
Just to clarify for Miss Taylor, the Sheffield Newspapers Chapel is totally separate from the South Yorkshire Newspapers chapel which staged a two month strike last summer.
Same newspapers, same editors and same MD, but two different chapels!
Report this comment
Binary boy!
You are spot on, glad to see someone can see the wood through the trees. It appears that AH can see the wood to but it’s dead so he is dealing with it like a pro.
C’mon JP, rise like the phoenix and show them doubters what can be achieved with an Iron rod and a steely determination!
Report this comment