The NUJ in the newsGreat news from the Birmingham Post and Mail that the chapels have secured an agreement there will be no compulsory redundancies.
Congratulations to the chapel members who mounted a solid, united resistance to these proposals, voting massively in favour of a strike.
This time next week, journalists on Trinity Mirror’s titles in the midlands are likely to have staged a strike in defence of jobs and journalism in the region and be planning their next move.
After a massive vote in favour, the members at the Birmingham Post and Mail, Coventry Telegraph, Sunday Mercury and Midlands Weekly Media titles plan to walk out on Thursday 30 July.
NUJ members working for Trinity Mirror in the midlands will meet later this week to discuss what action to take after a resounding strike vote.
Of those who voted, 84% opted to take industrial action and 97% for action short of a strike after the company announced plans to close nine titles and cut 17 journalists’ jobs in the region.
News today that NUJ members in Middlesbrough are to ballot over threatened compulsory redundancies brings the total of Trinity Mirror chapels currently considering industrial action to five.
Members at the Evening Gazette are particularly angry that they are facing more cuts after jobs went six months ago, the NUJ reports.
Apparently London mayor Boris Johnson thinks getting £250,000 a year for being a part-time journalist isn’t an obscenely massive salary and he defends it by saying he makes a “substantial donation” to charity.
If he’s looking for worthy causes to assuage his conscience, as a fellow journalist he could do worse than sling a few of his hard-earned quids this way. Or this way if members go out on strike. Or, similarly, this way etc.
Three big stories that in recent months have dominated the news, and will continue to do so for some time to come, bolster the union’s case that there is no substitute for well-resourced quality journalism.
When in April Ian Tomlinson died after being hit by a police officer during the G20 protests, it was professional journalism that turned a citizen’s shaky video footage into an investigation that is still turning up stories.
Chapels in dispute will get another helping hand as NUJ activists stage another Stand up for Journalism comedy benefit.
Following successful events in London and Glasgow earlier this year, tomorrow’s event will be in Stockport, chosen because the Guardian Media Group has abandoned the area by closing offices.
Following the success of our event in London in April, a Stand up for journalism gig is to be held next month in the north west.
Stockport has been chosen as the venue because MEN Media has removed all the journalists from the local office where the Stockport Express, South Manchester Reporter and Trafford Metro News staff were based.
The NUJ’s Devon and Cornwall branch has been revived amid concerns about the savage cuts spreading across our industry.
Members in the south west are also angry about redundancies at Northcliffe subsidiary Cornwall and Devon Media, publishers of weekly titles and magazines across the two counties.
Members in east Lancashire have proved the only way to see off the bosses’ cuts is by standing together.
Collective action which manifested itself in a massive vote for a strike at the Johnston-owned Burnley Express, Clitheroe Advertiser and Nelson Leader has forced the company to back down.