Journalists vote in favour of Strike Action at Newsquest (Herald & Times)
Following a ballot conducted this week by the NUJ, the staff at Newsquest (Herald & Evening Times) have voted ‘yes’ to take strike action.
Journalists at The Herald, Sunday Herald and Evening Times, along with Caledonian Magazines will now walk out next Friday, in what looks set to be Scotland’s first strike action in newspapers for quarter of a century.
87.3% of those who voted did so in favour of Industrial Action, just short of a strike, although 74.3% were in favour of going on strike.
NUJ Scottish Organiser Paul Holleran said: “Our members have had enough of the extremism of this management. Despite massive profits they keep seeking cuts. They have gone too far this time in selecting fine, experienced journalists for compulsory redundancy when they are aware of a dozen or so others with similar skills are seeking voluntary redundancy deals in other parts of the building. We will do whatever required to stop this dreadful behaviour and that includes striking, legal action and political pressure through an inquiry into their misleading assurances to the Competition Commission when they took over four years ago.”
Holleran admitted the turnout was low but said it was clearly down to the postal strikes. He added: “It is ironic that the success of the postal workers strike affected our ballot, but those ballot papers counted were overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action. And anyway in recent mass meetings of over 200 members there has been unanimous votes in favour of action so that is the real mandate and we know how much support we have.”
Other industrial action will include a work to rule which Holleran believed will show how much the company relies on good will of the journalists to get their papers out on time.