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Jobs at risk as production of North London weeklies moves to Weymouth

The Enfield Independent featured a trio of local heroes in dressage gold medallist Charlotte Dujardin, show jumper Ben Maher and high-jump bronze medallist Robbie GrabarzFourteen editorial staff could be at risk of redundancy or forced to move 140 miles away as a regional publisher continues to centralise its production operations.

Newsquest’s North London division has announced ten sub-editing and four planning and output roles will be moved from Watford to Weymouth as part of proposals due to be rolled out in either June or July.

A number of group editor and deputy editor roles in the division have already been cut as part of a management shake up by the publisher.

It saw staff of all 18 Newsquest titles in North London, West Essex, South Herts and South Bucks centralised in an editorial hub at Watford and placed under a single group editor in Tim Jones.

As well as the Watford Observer, they include the Enfield Independent, Haringey Independent, Hendon & Finchley Times, St Albans and Harpenden Review and Bucks Free Press.

The Watford operation also now includes the group’s former East London and West Essex division, comprising the Chingford Guardian, Epping Forest Guardian, Waltham Forest Guardian and Wanstead and Woodford Guardian.

The proposed relocation of subbing jobs is in keeping with Newsquest’s policy of transferring production operations to two central hubs, at Weymouth and Newport, following its introduction of the Knowledge editorial system.

Already most of the group’s daily and weekly titles in the West Midlands, North West, North East and Yorkshire have seen production switch to Newport while most of its South Coast newspapers, including Brighton daily The Argus, are now subbed in Weymouth.

The latest move was revealed in an internal memo from Tim and publishing services manager Denise Smith sent yesterday.

It states that “potential redundancies may result” for staff presently based at Watford adding that the new system will “improve operational efficiency” and “save costs.”

The memo continues: “The proposed transfer will affect all ten subbing staff and all four planning and output staff who are presently employed at Newsquest London (North London).

“From a legal perspective, those employees will, by virtue of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (“TUPE”), be entitled to transfer on their existing terms and conditions of employment and with continuity of employment preserved.”

The precise timing of the changes has not been revealed as it will “depend on the installation of the IT systems and hardware required along with the training of all relevant employees.”

The memo concludes:  “Whilst terms of employment will not otherwise be affected, the roles will, following the transfer, be based in Weymouth.”

Newsquest has yet to respond to HTFP’s request for further comment on the issue.

12 comments

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  • May 19, 2015 at 6:44 am
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    Weymouth is a lovely Dorset seaside town, so what’s the problem? Well, no, it’s not on the tube; and, yes, driving there from the north London/Herts borders may take a while – but you could leave early; and, OK, you may not see your family for five days a week. But what’s not to like here? “Costs” have to be “saved” as there are executive bonuses and directors’ emoluments to consider. In a word, folks, this is “exciting” and don’t you forget it.

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  • May 19, 2015 at 9:34 am
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    Don’t know if you’ve seen the mess made of Hampshire’s papers since the ‘exciting’ switch to new systems at Weymouth? Dire look full of blunders and the story count has slumped and it’s packed with generic rubbish. I am so sorry to say that I can no longer buy mine, which is sad..

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  • May 19, 2015 at 10:03 am
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    Confucius he say: “A little Knowledge is a dangerous thing” – especially in the hands of newspaper group executives.

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  • May 19, 2015 at 11:49 am
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    I’ve worked with Knowledge before, and frankly, any of it is a dangerous thing, let alone a little bit.

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  • May 19, 2015 at 12:18 pm
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    “The new system will improve operational efficiency.” As someone who experienced the new system that statement has to be the most tragic example of self delusion I’ve read in ages.

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  • May 19, 2015 at 2:53 pm
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    I wonder what happened to the rather dashing photo of the editor chap, Tim Jones, that was on here yesterday. Perhaps he didn’t like the implication that this batty decision was in any way connected with him. Can’t say I blame him. For what it’s worth, my maxim for the past 20 years has been never to take any job that involves moving house. I’d rather be redundant in London than employed, tenuously, in Weymouth, which from distant memory makes Bournemouth look like Bangkok. Though I expect the place is booming these days since all those subs were shipped in, flashing their money around and living like kings on Newsquest’s largesse. Or perhaps not.

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  • May 19, 2015 at 3:24 pm
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    Sounds awful. Nightmares.
    Who would have ever believed that London, Herts and Bucks area production would be steered from faraway Weymouth?! Many of us are relieved that we worked in happier/job satisfaction times when each of those papers were written and produced in each of their neighbourhoods. Quality is doomed…..can it get even worse in the next few years? Eventual control from a “hub” seconhand Portacabin on the marshes by a disused but glowing nuclear power station?

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  • May 19, 2015 at 3:28 pm
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    I replaced the picture of Tim for the simple editorial reason that I think it has been a tad overused lately.

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  • May 19, 2015 at 3:51 pm
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    ah. the old cattle trail is here again. Saddle up or get out. Lovely people to work for, newspapers. Listen to those with the knowledge.

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  • May 19, 2015 at 4:21 pm
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    Rather like Tim if he’s got 18 papers to edit from the front line!

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  • May 19, 2015 at 5:49 pm
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    What is one man’s redundancy is another man’s executive bonus.

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