Wednesday 5 January 2011

Newsquest journalists in Southampton start strike



NUJ members employed in Southampton by Newsquest, publisher of the Southern Daily Echo, started a three day strike today in protest at the company's pay freeze.

The action follows two strikes by the Southampton journalists in November. NUJ members at Newsquest's The Argus, Brighton, are also taking action this week.

NUJ deputy general secretary Michelle Stanistreet said: "Across the Newsquest group our members are saying that they’ve had enough. Newsquest continues to make huge profits for its American owners – operating profit for Gannett UK was £71.7million for 2009 compared to a loss of £462,000 in 2008.

“Gannet can’t expect to continue to gorge itself at the expense of hardworking and underpaid professional journalists. Newsquest shareholders must soon realise that their directors are leading the group into a cul de sac of confrontation which will cost them dearly.”

Illustration: NUJ Echo strike blog
  • NUJ members at Newsquest's The Herald, Sunday Herald and Evening Times in Glasgow today voted to extend a work to rule over redundancies, rather than strike.

No comments: