Journalists at a regional daily have announced they are hold a two-day strike over low pay on the first two working days of next year.
Members of the National Union of Journalists at the Swindon Advertiser will undertake the action on Tuesday 2 and Wednesday 3 January.
Parent company Newsquest announced last month that the group web editor, news editor and three content managers based at Swindon were at risk of redundancy in a restructure.
The NUJ says it has offered to meet representatives from the company today but is still waiting for a response.
A statement from the NUJ’s Swindon chapel reads: “The chapel hopes this dispute can be settled without a damaging strike taking place and is waiting to hear what management can offer, despite stonewalling representatives at three pay claim meetings, which began in November 2016, and ACAS-moderated talks.
“Members believe Newsquest Wiltshire and Oxfordshire is on course to make a £4m operating profit this year – by contrast a decent wage rise for all Swindon journalists, where poor pay is a growing problem in recruiting and retaining staff, would be measured in the tens of thousands of pounds.”
Laura Davison, NUJ national organiser, said: “Our members at Newsquest are taking a determined stand against poverty pay and a stubborn refusal to acknowledge the injustice and inequality that sees colossal profits channelled out of the local centre at the expense of local journalism.
“The community will be shocked to learn just how few journalists there are at Newsquest in Swindon and just how little Newsquest values their professional skills.
“At a time when the company is also attempting to force through more job cuts and get remaining staff to take on extra work we salute the chapel in tabling this action to highlight what is happening.”
A Newsquest spokesman previously said: “We are disappointed that the NUJ has taken this stance and it seems they are not in touch with the real world and oblivious to the huge pressures on the economics of local newspapers.
“Despite the fact that Swindon’s revenues are declining by more than 10pc, the staff there received a pay increase just four months ago. We are of course happy to continue to have meaningful discussions with the NUJ in order to resolve this issue.”
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Meanwhile over at the Leader in North Wales – Newsquest’s latest acquisition – the shocking truth is that the regional daily reporters there are paid as little as £15K. Sadly, that’s not a misprint.
The pitiful salaries are a legacy of the previous private owners who filled their own trough at the expense of their staff.
Newsquest will want to rectify such Scrooge-like wages immediately, I expect.
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It would be interesting to know as part of the story a) how many editorial staff there are and b) what the minimum and maximum salaries are
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Appalling treatment of staff. They should not be allowed to get away with it! The five members of staff who were as risk of redundancy were told yesterday that their last day is Friday. How very festive of you Newsquest! Tell me, how do you print a newspaper and run a website without a News Editor or Web Editor?! Watch the price go up yet again and the paper become even thinner. Poor Founder, William Morris would turn in his grave! This newspaper began locally and should have remained that way, not been taken over by a giant global company who think because they are just that, they can do exactly as they please.
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Is this the same journalists who were criticising teachers last year over many things, such as snow days? They have my support but should perhaps consider the impact of their words on people they may need to ask for help in the future.
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