Newspaper publisher Trinity Mirror is planning to close its printing plant in Newcastle with the loss of up to 49 jobs, it has been announced.
The plant at Groat Market in the city centre is one of seven TM printing centres across the UK, along with Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow, Oldham, Teesside and Watford.
Newcastle dailies the Chronicle and Journal reverted to being printed at the centre last year having previously been printed at Teesside.
A contract to print Northern editions of the Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday and Metro in Newcastle ended at the same time, with operations being moved to Oldham.
The ncjmedia building in Newcastle.
The decision to close the plant is being put down to the limitations of the site and “changes in the wider environment for printed newspapers.”
A Trinity Mirror spokesperson said: “We have begun consultation on the proposed closure of the Trinity Mirror Newcastle print press site.
“This is a result of changes in the wider environment for printed newspapers and the limitations of the site at Newcastle with old presses and a city centre building with limited access. It is not reflective of the efforts, skills and dedication of the workforce in Newcastle.”
The company has confirmed that 49 roles are affected by the plan although there may be opportunities for some to move to other TM print sites.
The Newcastle centre also houses the editorial and sales teams for the Chronicle, Journal and Sunday Sun.
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And so it begins after the Local World takeover. Lots more to come, I fear. Best of luck to all losing their jobs.
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More North East jobs go. Thank god for Gideon’s economic miracle.
Sadly, as Dick says there’s more to come.
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Won’t be long before the Chronic moves into a room at St James’s Park, and The Gazette into a parmo shop.
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Great sadness for those who will lose their jobs, but no great surprise. TM will lop off centres it doesn’t think it needs and in case anyone thinks I am being a little smug about this – I work in a former LW centre.
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Maybe the Chronic and Journal can be printed at Mr Blackwood’s former employer. Hang on, JP were first at killing off local papers in the North East by printing their feeble print editions at Sheffield.
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The Newcastle presses couldn’t do the Sunday Sun when it went to full colour so that was the first to go to Teesside. It wasn’t long before the Chron and Journal were moved to Middlesbrough as well, leaving only contract work – for competitors. All in all a sad state of affairs but not unexpected.
There’s no need to have a few dozen people rattling around in Thomson House now so no doubt more changes will be afoot… perhaps a move or maybe renting out some of the space.
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This will be the BBC’s fault too no doubt.
Good luck to those affected.
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Sad day. Good people. The NCJ building rattling to the force of the presses was a memorable experience. Good luck to all those affected.
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Happy Xmas
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‘Reverted back’ ? Tut, tut!
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As someone who had several very happy years with the Journal, Chronicle and Sunday Sun in the 60s I cannot help but be saddened by the loss of jobs there. They are salt of the earth people, incredibly friendly, and deserve better. Isn’t it time for all of the Trinity Mirror management to be sacked and people who care for newspapers to be drafted in? Regards to anyone who remembers me…Ken Jackson
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There was a time not so very long ago when NCJ handed out bonuses at Christmas. Now it’s redundancy notices. Merry Xmas, Trinity Mirror style!
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As an EX employee, the problem post leaving(Also made redundant) is the fact that the brown noses that do nothing keep their jobs and the grafters get the push, there was far too many chiefs with a total lack of Indians for a third of the cost. I remember them giving the drivers their notice 3 weeks pre Christmas also. No tact at all. Hope those left can sleep at night ???
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