Management at Mirror Group Newspapers, publisher of the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and the People, is understood to be seeking to impose a pay freeze on all journalists on its national newspapers who are earning more than £75,000.
It is proposing a "moderate" pay award for most MGN staff in 2011 as well as a pay out from the employee bonus scheme to each employee in March 2011.
However, for staff earning a basic salary of £75,000 or more it is proposed that there will be a pay freeze in 2011. It is claimed by management that with the "very limited funds available, we feel it is not fair to penalise those who earn lower salaries".
The British Association of Journalists, the union representing Mirror journalists which is recognised by management, has described the move as "very disappointing".
It has responded by telling management: "You are proposing to deprive some very talented journalists in the BAJ/MGN Bargaining Unit of a pay rise in 2011 simply because they are well paid for their enormous contribution to the editorial excellence of the three titles."
BAJ claims:"It is extremely misleading to talk of 'very limited funds' being available for a pay rise for MGN journalists. The Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and The People have just suffered massive job losses. At a conservative estimate, the company has saved £6 million a year on
editorial salary costs.
"We can also estimate with some accuracy that MGN will have achieved an operating profit of at least £60 million in 2010."
BAJ also says: "The company’s claim to be concerned about lower-paid staff is also extremely misleading when the company refused to implement the recent award of the arbitration panel which included raising the minimum salaries for journalists by 5%."
It adds: "At a time when all MGN journalists are working harder than ever, it is vindictive to single out very talented journalists for a pay freeze."
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