The Drum Awards for Marketing - Extended Deadline

-d -h -min -sec

Newsquest management perform U-Turn over industrial action wage dispute

Author

By Gillian West, Social media manager

December 20, 2012 | 3 min read

Members of the NUJ chapel at Newsquest York – which publishes The Press and the Gazette and Herald – have reacted furiously to have been docked a day’s wages for taking part in industrial action, just hours after they were assured they would not lose money.

The industrial action surrounds an ongoing dispute over a third pay freeze in four years. Following a 10 minute mandatory meeting staff returned to work with talks over a 2013 pay claim set to be held with management early in the New Year. Chapel representatives were assured by The Press managing editor Steve Hughes that no pay would be docked over the meeting.

Later in the day members were then informed they would lose a full day’s wages as an article about the industrial action had appeared in the trade press with the chapel’s consent.

Joint Fathers of the chapel, Tony Kelly and Mark Stead, have since branded the management U-turn as “embarrassing” and “double dealing”.

Adding: “What we cannot tolerate is that we are the victims of management misinformation. We were explicitly told we would not be docked pay, only for this to be U-turned on hours later.

"Members have worked for more than half a day under false pretences and essentially for free. This has left an extremely bitter taste and an atmosphere of immense distrust at a time when there was hope of progress being made in this dispute.

"We cannot accept this ridiculous and unfair treatment. We are absolutely furious and it is a huge setback in terms of reaching a solution."

Chris Morely, Northern and Midlands organiser, commented: “I am deeply shocked by the volte face carried out by management in which members were persuaded to suspend their industrial action and return to their desks - only to be informed hours later they would be docked pay anyway.

“This is truly outrageous behaviour by the company and potentially has seriously put back the possibility of finding a solution to this crisis as members rightly feel betrayed and provoked by their own company.

“By double dealing in this way, the senior managers have poured petrol on a dispute that just will not go away until they show a real commitment to tackle the growing hardship for a well-trained, experienced and award-winning team of journalists. The measly sum saved by this action of docking pay will probably pay for just a few days of the directors' annual - and ill deserved - bonus."

The union is said to now be seeking legal advice.

Trending

Industry insights

View all
Add your own content +