Tindle strike: It's the grim reaper up North London

Journalists planning to strike at the Sir Ray Tindle owned-North London & Herts Newspaper group say they will hold a funeral procession for their titles through Enfield on Wednesday.

The NUJ chapel says the procession will include the grim reaper and a "a priest reading out the last rites over the corpse of our newspapers."

The journalists are protesting at low staffing levels and say journalists are not being replaced. The strike action is due to start at 8.30am tomorrow morning for two weeks with a protest outside the North London & Herts Newspapers offices in Enfield.

The chapel said in a statement: "We are taking action over Sir Ray Tindle’s refusal to replace members of staff, leaving our formerly award-winning newspapers to dwindle and die."

The "funeral procession" on Wednesday starts at noon.

Tindle Newspapers says it regrets the decision of the chapel and says the company was unable to take on new people or increase pay because of the North London centre's rising losses. It also says Tindle Newspapers is the only newspaper group not to have made journalists redundant during the recession.

North London & Herts Newspapers comprises: The Enfield Advertiser, The Edmonton Advertiser, The Winchmore Hill Advertiser & Herald, The Enfield Gazette, The Barnet & Potters Bar Press, The East Barnet Press & Advertiser, The Edgware & Mill Hill Press, The Hendon & Finchley Press and The Haringey Advertiser.

Pic: NUJ chapel North London & Herts Newspapers