Journalists at a regional publisher have marked Valentine’s Day by launching a coordinated national campaign for better pay.
National Union of Journalists members working for Newsquest titles have used the date to “fire an arrow of passion from Cupid’s bow” and lodge their annual pay claims with local management at the company.
The NUJ says most of its Newsquest chapels are asking that an unpaid 3pc of living increase last year should be added to a further 5pc rise in 2019, making a total of 8pc or a minimum of £2,000, whichever is the greater.
The union claims trainee journalists now working for Newsquest can start on £16,500 and some of the highest-paid reporters, with up to 30 years’ experience, earn £26,000, while editorial apprentices currently earn the minimum wage of £3.70 an hour when starting.
Chris Morley, pictured, Newsquest NUJ national coordinator, said: “Newsquest chapels up and down the country have used the fact that it is Valentine’s Day today to fire an arrow of passion from Cupid’s bow to local management to lodge their annual pay claims.
“They want to show how much burning desire there is among NUJ members to start the recovery from the severe neglect of their pay by the company over many years.
“While Newsquest’s parent Gannett is fending off the unwanted attentions of a $1.4 billion hostile takeover bid by vulture capitalists, the thousands of UK employees in Newsquest cannot be ignored and condemned to exist on rubbish pay forever.
“That is why NUJ chapels are working collectively to give the biggest possible reminder today to bosses that they deserve a little more love from the corporate hierarchy in the form of cold hard cash for their amazing productivity, skill and invention. The largesse heaped on directors makes a mockery of the pay for journalists.
“The annual pay for new news apprentices at Newsquest is just £7,250 while the boardroom remuneration bill runs to millions. We hope today’s Valentine’s messages from chapels finds a receptive response.”
Newsquest has declined to comment.
Sign up for our free daily email bulletin
Follow HTFP on Twitter
Got a story? Email the Editor at
If it is correct NQ pays trainees £16,500 then it is not the lowest paying publisher in the UK right now. Not saying it is a good salary but the NUJ ought to be aware others pay similar amounts or less. Often it is a postcode lottery. If the NUJ is serious about this issue it ought to conduct a wide survey and not be afraid to highlight inconsistencies.
On a boring note, a 3% pay rise last year and a 5% pay rise this year does not equate to a 8% pay rise in total. It would be 8.15%.
Report this comment
I remember starting on £6,500 a year with the Boston Standard in 1998 – reaching the dizzy heights of £19,500 as a specialist reporter with the Hull Daily Mail in 2002. Needless to say I now work in PR where the pay is more and the stress is less.
Report this comment
Good luck with that one. Journalists are not exactly cherished by the big groups. More chance if you are a web monkey.
Report this comment
“Fire an arrow of passion from Cupid’s Bow’ ???? What? More meaningless rhetoric from the NUJ who have basically stood by, completely helpless and useless, as thousands of jobs and careers have been thrown on the scrapheap by unscrupulous employers such as Newsquest.
There hasn’t been an across-the-board pay rise awarded by NQ in almost ten years – does the NUJ really think they are going to start now? Their aim has been to drive down pay scales – not give £2k a year increases.
Good luck to the hard working journalists with their campaign, but ultimately it’ll get you nowhere, and the ineffective NUJ won’t be able to help you either.
Report this comment
If you look across the industry north of the Border there are instances of rates being paid that are less than they were a decade ago.
Brexit could worsen the situation; whether or not it improves bargaining power remains to be seen, though rapid devaluation will make the real/nominal pay issue even more pressing.
Report this comment
Disgraceful even.
Report this comment