Regional press crisis: A message from the Leicester Mercury subs to management

Subs at Northcliffe's flagship Leicester Mercury are urging the paper's management to back the paper's "Support our County" campaign and scrap plans to transfer their jobs to Nottingham.
The Mercury campaign aims to encourage readers to shop in Leicestershire.
Chris Morley, NUJ northern organiser, said: “The Support our County campaign had the laudable aim of encouraging independent traders. But, while parading their Leicestershire credentials on the front page of the paper, Mercury bosses were in the boardroom hatching plans to forcibly move some local shoppers on their own staff - and their money – to Nottingham. You couldn’t make it up."
The Leicester Mercury NUJ chapel has written to local MPs, councillors, and other opinion formers urging them to protest about the cuts to the company.
Their letter says: “The Northcliffe newspaper group, which runs the Leicester Mercury, is cutting back on the number of journalists who produce your local paper.
“The Leicester Mercury is one of hundreds of titles the company owns across the UK, which also include the Nottingham Evening Post and Derby Evening Telegraph.
“Last year, operating profits for the Daily Mail and General Trust, parent group for Northcliffe, were £317 million. At Leicester, latest figures show the company made £20,000 profit for each employee. In pursuit of further ‘cost savings’ the company plans to move the printing and journalistic production of the Leicester Mercury to Nottingham.
“So, if Northcliffe really values this county, and being “At the heart of all things local”, why is it moving production of a proud local paper all the way to Nottingham?
“We recognise these are difficult financial times and that cost savings may have to be made - and even that some jobs may be lost. However, we have put forward proposals that would make substantial savings without ending a proud 135-year history of producing Leicestershire’s daily paper in Leicester."