NUJ demands talks with Media Wales amidst 22 job losses
With the announcement that 22 jobs are to be cut at Trinity Mirror owned publisher Media Wales, the National Union of Journalists has demanded immediate talks with the company’s management.
The NUJ chapel has said that it is determined to protect the jobs, wages and working conditions, as well as the quality of journalism at Media Wales, which plans to introduce a new production system alongside the editorial restructure.
The proposals will see 10 district office staff, eight production journalists and four sports writers made redundant, should they go ahead.
A statement by the chapel at Media Wales read: "This Chapel expresses shock at the scale of editorial cuts being proposed by the management of Media Wales.
"While recognising the especially challenging nature of the trading climate in Wales, it is determined to do everything possible to protect the jobs, wages and conditions of its members, as well as the quality of our products.
"The Chapel instructs the Chapel committee to enter immediate talks with management to secure the best possible outcome and authorises the committee to take whatever action it sees fit in association with the union's national officers, including organising a strike ballot.
"The Chapel also expresses its outrage at the obscene level of remuneration enjoyed by Trinity Mirror chief executive Sly Bailey - £1.7m in 2010 - and her fellow directors and calls on them to volunteer for a pay cut."
Father of the Chapel, Martin Shipton added: "We shall be entering an intensive period of negotiation with management to mitigate the damage to our members' livelihood and the newspapers we produce.
"Members are especially angry that while they are expected to lose their jobs or in some cases take pay cuts, Sly Bailey and her fellow directors continue to be paid obscene amounts of money."
Media Wales publishes among others, the Western Mail, South Wales Echo, Wales on Sunday.