Journalists working on local newspapers in South London are on strike

Photograph by Beowolf (NUJ)

The NUJ Chapel representing journalists working on Newsquest titles in south London began a 12-day strike, 18 June, over redundancies, staffing levels and pay. If necessary, the strike will be followed by a ‘work to rule’.

SERTUC was pleased to be invited to visit the picket line on day one of the dispute, in Sutton. We expressed the SERTUC Regional Council’s support for their action and we were pleased to offer our ongoing solidarity to the NUJ during the dispute. Journalists deserve fair pay and respect at work. It is a modern-day scandal that a journalist can be paid less than the London Living Wage in twenty-first century London. It is a disgrace, and frankly really inefficient, that a large employer can be seeking to impose organisational change by diktat, rather than working with trade unions via constructive industrial relations.

Messages of support can be sent to Andrew at the South West London NUJ Chapel at brass19@hotmail.com or Laura Davison, NUJ National Organiser, laurad@nuj.org.uk

Newsquest is one of the UK's largest regional newspaper publishers with more than 200 newspapers, magazines and trade publications; including 17 dailies. In May 2015 Newsquest announced its plans to restructure the organisation and cut staff numbers in the region. Newsquest is owned by Gannett, its American parent company. The Guardian newspaper reported last summer than Gannett’s Group profits increased by 84 per cent in Quarter 2 of 2014 and that Newsquest revenues increased. (see HERE) 

The NUJ Chapel in South London voted unanimously to take strike action. A spokesperson said: “We would prefer not to have to take strike action, but the management's decision has given us no option. We care about our readers and the communities we serve. Further cuts to staff will have an impact on the quality of the newspapers we produce and will add to the already-low morale among poorly-paid staff. The union remains willing to seek a resolution to the dispute with management."

Newsquest proposes to merge the south west London and south east London editorial departments and ask south east London reporters to work remotely. The plans also include job cuts and redundancies that would impact on a range of posts including group editor, editor, deputy editor, assistant editor, news editor, editorial assistants, online commercial content developer, deputy news editor, assistant news editor, chief reporters and senior sports roles.

The Chapel wants:

• A three per cent pay increase,
• A minimum of the London Living Wage for all reporters,
• No compulsory redundancies,
• A halt to imposed restructuring, with any re-organisation to be the subject of meaningful negotiation between management and the NUJ.

The newspaper titles to be affected by the proposed cuts include: The Croydon Guardian, Sutton Guardian, Epsom Guardian, Wimbledon Guardian, Wandsworth Guardian, Balham and Tooting Guardian, Mitcham and Morden Guardian, Kingston Guardian, Surrey Comet, Elmbridge Comet, and the Richmond & Twickenham Times. The News Shopper series has editions in Dartford, Lewisham, Greenwich, Gravesend, Bexley and Bromley.

For updates please keep checking the NUJ website 

Laurie Heselden

@TUCLaurieHeseld

Megan Dobney

@mdobney