Wednesday 24 August 2011

Readers support South Yorks strikers' petition


Striking journalists at the South Yorkshire Times are being supported by thousands of readers who have signed a petition protesting at job cuts and management changes at the paper, the NUJ claimed today.

Three editorial posts have been lost at the SYT and the remaining reporters will now be based in Doncaster with the paper coming under the editorship of Doncaster Free Press chief Graeme Huston.

South Yorkshire Times editor Jim Oldfield was made redundant during the journalists' continuing official indefinite strike.

NUJ organiser Chris Morley said: "It's wonderful that so many people have chosen to back our members’ campaign against what is effectively the death of their newspaper. It was brilliant to see how much support we have had from readers - at times people were literally queuing up to sign the petition.

"Under Jim Oldfield's editorship the SYT became one of the most vital, courageous and popular local weeklies in the country - it is heartbreaking to see such an inspiring era threatened in this way."

Journalists at the Johnston Press-owned South Yorkshire Times ,Doncaster Free Press, Selby Times and Epworth Bells have been on indefinite strike since July 15 over job cuts, office closures, increased workloads and a lack of faith in management.

Pic: Jim Oldfield (Jon Slattery)

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