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Newsquest Newspapers NUJ

Newsquest journalists to strike this month over pay, redundancies and move to subbing hub

By Angela Haggerty, Reporter

June 19, 2014 | 3 min read

Newsquest titles in the North West and London will go on strike next week over pay, redundancies and plans to transfer editorial production work to Newport in Wales.

Strike: Journalists will down tools on 25 June

The strike will take place on 25 June and the Warrington Guardian, Northwich Guardian, Sale of Altrincham, the Wirral Globe and South London Guardian papers are among those affected.

Chris Morley, NUJ Northern and Midlands organiser, said: “Our members are resolute in being ready to strike to defend their colleagues, their journalism and their sanity from exploitative overloading of work that will arise from the company’s latest plans.

“In the absence of any realisation from Newsquest bosses that they have to fundamentally change tack on these plans, our chapels will take united strike action.

“There are signs that the company’s timetable for implementation is slipping badly already. I suggest managers use this time to talk in a mature and conciliatory manner to their staff representatives about positive ways forward.”

Journalists at the London papers voted by 100 per cent in favour of strike, while the Warrington chapel returned a 93.1 per cent vote in favour and Blackburn 83.1 per cent.

The NUJ said they were taking action after having only one pay increase in six years and over fears moving production work to a subbing hub in Wales will affect editorial quality.

The NUJ last year blasted sub-editor redundancies as the publisher moved work to the hub as “disastrous” and warned Newsquest would “come to regret it in the long run. The union has heavily criticised the company’s cuts in light of a £58m operating profit and a $1.3bn giveaway to the American shareholders of parent company Gannett.

Newsquest Newspapers NUJ

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