NUJ condemns Newsquest 'workhouse' practices

The NUJ has condemned five editorial job losses at Newsquest South Wales and the closure of two district offices in Chepstow and Pontypool.

The editorial job losses include the loss of one sub, one reporter, one photographer, one editorial assistant, and the non-filling of one subbing vacancy.

According to the NUJ, staff were asked earlier in the year to take unpaid leave -"furloughs" - and that if they did, the company would promise not to make them redundant before the end of the year.

Jenny Lennox, NUJ assistant organiser said: “Journalists have had their pay frozen at these titles for more than three years, unless they accepted unpaid holiday, and have now been told that they will be made redundant sooner if they didn’t take unpaid leave. Such employment practices are appalling and have more in common with the workhouse, than a future-thinking media company.”