24/04/09 14:03
Daily Record & Sunday Mail messages of support
24/04/09 10:56
David Whitton's Newspaper Economy Speech on 23 April 2009
23/04/09 Parliamentary Bureau Motions:
David Whitton: Scottish Newspaper Industry - That the Parliament recognises the threat to the Scottish economy from the current crisis facing Scotland's newspaper and media industries; notes that local newspapers are facing particular difficulties in the current economic climent; opposes any moves towards compulsory redundancies such as those imposed by Trinity Mirror at the Daily Record and Sunday Mail; calls for all newspaper and media organisations considering restructuring, reorganisaion or redundancy to engage in meaningful negotiations with the relevant workforce representatives in order to minimise the economic impact of any job cuts, and calls on the Scottish Government to hold urgent talks with Trinity Mirror management in order to prevent compulsory job cuts.
Following an overwhelming vote in favour of David Whitton's motion Paul Holleran said: "This is quite remarkable politcal support on a cross party basis and I just hope Trinity Mirror management have taken note of what Parliament has said."
Kenneth Gibson: The Future of the Sunday Mail notes with deep concern the decision of Trinity Mirror to merge the editorial content of the Daily Record and Sunday Mail with the loss of up to 30% of journalistic staff, based primarily in Glasgow and the west of Scotland; recognises that both newspapers are an integral part of Scottish culture and that to diminish their individual identities would be a serious blow to the deversity, vibrancy and quality of the Scottish media; believes that the loss of their separate identities would undoubtedly lead to the erosion of circulation at both titles, leading inevitably to further job losses; considers that the Trinity Mirror is highly profitable and that there is no need to undertake such drastic restructuring, and therefore very much hopes that good sense may prevail over the future of two of Scotland's leading titles.
REPORT TO MSPS.
Including update from April 22nd 2009
The newspaper industry is facing a dramatic downturn in fortune after years of making massive profits. The drop in profitable returns because of falling circulation and advertising revenues has created a panic among managing directors and newspaper executives.
Their response over the last three years, has been to slash jobs and are now merging titles, cutting even more editorial posts to levels where staff will struggle to produce quality papers.
Newsquest (Herald, Evening Times, Sunday Herald) have merged the three titles and set up a multi-media desk, shed 37 jobs and introduced new contracts with increased hours and less holidays for staff.
The NUJ has asked the HSE to intervene in respect to the long hours and stress levels being experienced by the remaining journalists.
Scotsman Publications are merging production and picture desks across their three titles (Scotsman, Scotland on Sunday, Evening News) around a dozen jobs are going. Shares in Johnston Press have plummeted from £3.40 to 7 pence in two years. The company has given assurances that they will work with the NUJ making every effort to avoid any compulsory redundancies and ensure staff are not subjected to excessive hours without a break.
Trinity Mirror shares have also plunged to an unhealthy seven pence recently, although the Scottish end of the group (S&UN, Daily Record & Sunday Mail) is making healthy profits (over £20 million in each of the last two years). However the management are pushing through around 60 job cuts equivalent to a quarter of the editorial workforce.
Management triggered a dispute when they selected 24 of the 60 for compulsory redundancy. They have also issued notices to staff changing their job titles and informing them of new longer, unsociable shift patterns as part of the new structure.
A series of strikes, a work to rule, legal action and political pressure has all been part of the NUJ campaign to persuade management to get back around the table and accept a compromise put forward by the union and supported by all editorial staff. Despite previous opposition to involving ACAS, management met at the arbitration service along with the NUJ.
22/04/09
The union put forward a set of proposals aimed at ending the dispute, asking the company to reinstate the 24 members, re-open talks on voluntary redundancy terms and enter into meaningful negotiations over the cuts and restructuring.
However management refused to back down on the selection of the compulsory targets and talks ended without progress.
Three further days of strike action will take place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday this weekend. The union will next week submit a claim for a protective award on behalf of the 246 members. This could cost the company between £2.5m-£3m. Further legal action on behalf of individual members could quickly follow.
Although the papers have continued to be produced, there has been massive numbers of complaints from readers about the poor quality, exclusions and mistakes. Examples include 600 complaints in one morning about replacing Daily Record racing pages with inferior Daily Mirror pages. A further 500 complaints about wrong crossword answers added to the discomfort.
The small team of editors and managers producing the papers through the strike days have been working in excess of 18 hours a day with minimum breaks.
There are no plans to re-open formal talks.
16/04/09
10/04/09
View footage from the Daily Record & Sunday Mail picket line on Saturday 10 April.
Further strike action is scheduled for Friday 17 & Saturday 18 April.
08/04/09 23:15
Over 200 NUJ members at The Daily Record & Sunday Mail have voted unanimously in a motion of no confidence in MD Mark Hollinshead and HR DIrector Lesley Somerville.
The mass meeting in Glasgow also expressed their disgust in the way individuals were treated in being told they were compulsory redundant. Calling for the reinstatement of the 20 odd members selected for the chop chapel members demanded the union pursue every way at their disposal to challenge the dismissals.
Scottish Organiser Paul Holleran backed the call and told the meeting "We will step up industrial action, taking more strike action next week as well as pursuing all legal action possible, both collectively and on behalf of individuals. It is also time for the politicians to put more pressure on the two people at the top of the table in Central Quay and demand reinstatement of our members."
Members were particularly angry at the amateurish way people were told about their "selection" and slammed Trinity Mirror HR Director Somerville for a series of blunders and inadequacies at the meetings.
Members told NUJ officials that she:
* did not know who some of the relevant line managers were when asked who had carried out the marking.
* was mistaken or lied about certain line managers taking part in the selection process.
* could not provide answers when asked where individals had marked poorly.
* struggled when challenged by members over their marking.
Paul Holleran said:"One member was told he was bottom of the list, marked on technical ability, absenteeism and discipline. He was somewhat surprised as he has just been nominated for two awards, he has only been off a handful of times in all his years at the company and had no disciplinary record. He told me the others must be very good if he was bottom of the lot. Although she told him his line manager It is a disgrace and we will expose and pursue this and other examples like this in the courts."
A one day strike will take place this Friday, followed by another two days of action next week. The union will also be seeking a high level protective award against the company as part of the legal action starting this week.
See Paul's interview regarding the situation on STV (08/04/09)
04/04/09
Link to BBC report on strike at Daily Record/Sunday Mail
Update 02 04 09
There has been mixed results in the union's efforts to settle two strikes planned for this week.
A last ditch intervention at the top level of the BBC has led to the cancellation of a one day strike planned for Friday. The dispute was over the threat of four compulsory redundancies in the World Service.
However talks aimed at reaching a compromise at The Daily Record & Sunday Mail have failed and the 24 hour strike will take place on Saturday from one minute after midnight.
NUJ officers handling the negotiations had hoped that their offer of up to 40 voluntary redundancies and guaranteed co-operation with the introduction of a new production system would have been accepted.
Scottish Organiser Paul Holleran said:"It appears management want the right to select folk for dismissal and are ploughing ahead with this action next week. We explained in the politest but strongest terms that this will only exacerbate the situation and things will almost certainly escalate.
"It will create even more bad feeling and destroy any vestiges of goodwill that might remain. The introduction of the new system will require massive goodwill and co-operation with the changes and that will vanish overnight if one member is made compulsorily redundant."
Despite offering to reduce the numbers targeted if the union accepted "the principle of compulsories" , Managing Director Mark Hollinshead would not accept the union position.
HR Director Lesley Sommerville said they still wanted to work with the NUJ in implementing the changes, but said they now had no option but go ahead with selection to reach their required target of 70.