The Press Association has confirmed it is looking to axe up to 35 jobs as a result of a slump in revenues from the regional press.
Managing director Tony Watson revealed in an email to staff that the agency is to open a voluntary redundancy scheme for its 900 employees in Britain and Ireland.
It is understood that the company is looking for around 35 volunteers, but not all are expected to be from editorial posts.
The scheme, which will offer enhanced redundancy pay of up to three times the statutory amount, will remain open until 3 January.
Tony said in his email: “We believe that next year will be a particularly challenging one for the company.
“For the second consecutive year we will see very substantial reductions in the revenue we receive from regional newspapers and it is likely the structural change in that market will continue to impact on our business.”
“The scheme is part of an effort to reduce costs to ensure the company remains in a strong financial position in the future and able to continue investing in the technologies and products that will enable us to compete in a changing media landscape.”
The message goes on to say that “every effort” will be made to minimise compulsory redundancies.” The Press Association has declined to comment further.
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900 staff! what do they all do? where are they?
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Perhaps if Clive Marshall (CEO) didn’t pay himself £984k (and rising) every year, then the business could afford to keep the staff that actually do the work.
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The PA, with partners Express KCS, have cost many others their jobs, due to outsourcing and without voluntary redundancy. What goes around, comes around.
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Hi Geoff, there are a few offices based across the country/world – Glasgow, London, Nottingham, Howden (near Leeds), Hong Kong, Belfast, Newcastle, Bristol to name but a few! As for JP cost cut victim, PA employees are hard workers and lots of their offices (such as in Nottingham) have suffered redundancies in the last few years so to say ‘What goes around, comes around.’ is a tad flippant! The economy continues to struggle and it’s not only regional press that are suffering redundancies (look at npower, Blockbuster, Council cut backs etc etc)
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I might have some sympathy if they weren’t so awful to deal with.
The pricing, lack of flexibility and downright disregard for their regional customers is the reason why we do everything we can to source content from anywhere but PA!
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Actually, every time I’ve ever had to deal with PA they have always been helpful. If you treat people as you would like to be treated yourself and not to scream (or patronise) down the phone thinking your God’s gift will yield better results.
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Two wrongs – I don’t own a God’s gift.
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I think JP cost cut victim, if indeed that is what s/he is, is being very mean spirited. The people who work at PA work there because there is demand for what they do, not because they have actually gone out and sought the work. Of course, PA will have pitched for that work, but the staff who do the work are just doing their jobs. Have some sympathy, JP cost cut victim.
PA’s problem is simple – it needs to decide what it is good at, and focus on those things rather than trying to be all things to all men
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I take on board the comments – fair points. Of course I have sympathy for anyone who is made redundant and assume they are hard working staff, but so were the many that lost their jobs due to outsourcing in the past. The demand is there for what they do because (in the design case, at least) it is done in India and therefore more cheaply, so presumably PA knew it would cost UK jobs. Best wishes to those affected.
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It might have helped if JP Cost Cut Victim knew what he/she was talking about before he/she attempted to make a point. Good journalists check their facts…
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PA the entity and PA the people on the shop floor are two different things. The entity was willing to make use of economy of scale and undercut. And, in terms of the wire, treated us, the customers, in my view, like those who should be grateful. The entity, I have never liked. But the workers, they dont deserve redundancy
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For the benefit of BET –
God’s gift
Sarcastic term used for someone who generally contributes no benefits to humanity.
Person 1: I hate Philosophy students, Corvettes, German Shepherd dogs and anything by George Lucas.
Person 2: And I suppose you are God’s gift to humanity?
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If you look at the EKCS website you will see that they and the Press Association signed a partnership deal to offer the outsourcing that I referred to.
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The hardworking, front line staff at PA are, in general, overworked and meanly paid. If compulsory redundancies are to be made they should be faced by senior management who, from my experience, care little for those at the rock face and earn far too much for doing far too little!
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