NUJ staff call on Richard Desmond to sell Express titles rather than cut more jobs

NUJ members at Express Newspapers in London have called on their owner Richard Desmond to sell the papers to a new owner who will restore their status - or use some of his personal wealth to ride out the financial crisis - rather than axing more jobs.
The journalists made the call in response to company plans to cut nearly 100 jobs - including 70 in editorial.
They passed a motion stating: "This chapel condemns proprietor Richard Desmond's greed-driven plans to slash jobs across all the titles and endanger their future. This chapel demands Richard Desmond use his vast personal fortune to ride out the current recession rather than force his staff to make further sacrifices.
"Alternatively, this chapel calls on Richard Desmond to sell the titles to a proprietor who will restore them to their former status."
Barry Fitzpatrick, NUJ head of publishing, raised Desmond's failed libel action against Tom Bower. He said: "Richard Desmond is reported to have spent £1 million on his recent libel action. That is four times the cost of a pay deal for this year that was negotiated and then taken away because the company said they could not afford it.
"This current exercise at Express newspapers is supposed to save £7 million - but nowhere in it is there any sign of sacrifices by the proprietor."
The NUJ says that for the past two years Richard Desmond has paid himself more than £600,000 per annum. In 2002, he took no salary but £11m was paid into his pension. In 2003 his pay from the Express was £7.7m, while £26m went into his pension. In 2004, his pay was £32.6m plus £4.75m pension. And in 2005, Desmond took no salary but £23m went into his pension. Desmond received £112m in pay and benefits from Express Newspapers from 2001 to 2005 inclusive.
Via NUJ website.