Newsquest London to cut sports and leisure editorial jobs across nine titles
The National Union of Journalists has claimed that Newsquest London it to cut sports and leisure jobs across nine of its newspapers.
The job cuts will include the entire sports and leisure department, made up of two editors, two sport writers, two leisure writers and two subs.
The department works across the Croydon Guardian, Elmbridge Guardian, Epsom Guardian, Kingston Guardian, Streatham Guardian, Surrey Comet, Sutton Guardian, Wandsworth Guardian and Wimbledon Guardian.
The result of a ballot which could lead to industrial action being taken by NUJ members working at Newsquest London will be announced next Tuesday as a result of the threat to jobs.
Jenny Lennox, NUJ negotiator said: “The company's short-sighted business model has reached a level where adverts are in danger of being increasingly ignored as readers toss their disappearing newspapers away unread. The company claims these decisions are being made amid ‘worsening trading conditions’, but the reality is Newsquest continues to rake in vast profits, in 2009 the company recorded an operating profit of £71.7m.
"These cuts threaten the future survival of local newspapers in south London. Newsquest makes millions of pounds worth of profit and at the same time they want to axe our members jobs and retreat from quality local journalism. The union is balloting for action in response to the cuts because we know our members take pride in their work and local citizens wants to read a local paper which contains local news, sports and leisure," she added.