North London Tindle dispute over staffing resolved

The NUJ members who have been in dispute with Sir Ray Tindle's North London & Herts Newspapers over low staffing levels have called off their second strike following what they say are concessions from management.

The NUJ said that following a successful day of negotiations Tindle has agreed to reverse its policy of non-replacement agreeing to a six month moratorium on present staffing levels, guaranteeing that if anyone in editorial leaves over this period they will be replaced.

The company, according to the union, have also agreed an extra reporter to work for half the week to help out with the current workload. The situation after six months will then be reviewed.

Redundancy consultation notices issued to staff on the eve of their first walk out have been withdrawn.

Jonathan Lovett FoC at North London & Herts Newspapers ( top left) said: "It has been a long, hard struggle but we are satisfied with the result and now look forward to working together with Tindle to ensure our papers are returned to the quality publications which our readers deserve. We have many ideas for the future of our papers and we look forward to sharing them with the Tindle management across the table."

Enfield hosts the launch of a national, NUJ campaign on Monday, July 4 to save local newspapers. It starts at 6.30pm at The Dugdale Centre in Thomas Hardy House, 39 London Road, Enfield, EN2 6DS.

Pic: Jon Slattery

Enfield Nine: From a funeral to tea in Farnham

The "Enfield Nine" journalists ended their two week strike over staff shortages by holding a street tea party outside the Tindle Newspapers headquarters in Farnham today.

They organised bunting, fairy cakes, cucumber sandwiches and music as part of the campaign to save their titles which are published by the Tindle owned North London & Herts Newspapers and include the Enfield Gazette, Haringey Advertiser and Barnet Press.

The campaign has included a mock funeral in Enfield which was held to warn local residents that their local papers were in danger. The strikers claim that their action has prompted a debate about the future of the local press and quality journalism.

NUJ FoC Jonathan Lovett, said: “It just shows that striking can be a positive action if the cause is right. We feel we have finally found a voice after months of fruitless negotiations and frustration.

“When we started this we didn’t realise we would hit such a nerve with journalists and readers up and down the country.

"We hope this is the start of a national debate about the future of local journalism. For too long, profit-hungry newspaper owners have been getting away with inferior products which do a disservice to their loyal readers.”

Enfield Nine: 'We've suggested ways to save titles'

Nine NUJ journalists, who are starting a second week of strike action at North London & Herts Newspapers over staff shortages, have hit back at claims by Tindle Newspapers' management that they have offered no suggestions on how to stop their newspapers' financial losses.

The strikers, who last week held a mock funeral for their titles in Enfield, say members of the public who have written to their owner Sir Ray Tindle about the strike action over non-replacement of editorial staff have received a letter claiming: "We asked the whole staff, particularly the journalists, to join with management to seek a solution to the huge losses the papers were making. The only reply was seven days' notice of a strike."

In response, the "Enfield Nine" claim they have suggested numerous revenue-boosting ideas to advertising management, including; a teen model search, a male-targeted magazine supplement, photosales specials, education-related editions, distribution reshuffles, several competition ideas and web-savvy initiatives.

They say these are in addition to a monthly supplement called Families In The Loop which editorial staff pitched to management and is now a 12-page monthly edition successfully bringing in a new source of revenue.

Father of the NUJ chapel Jonathan Lovett said: "The suggestion by management that we have been unhelpful is a downright lie.

"As well as producing nine newspapers in addition to our extensive workload, we have given numerous ideas to management to raise the bottom line. The majority of these have been ignored apart from a successful monthly supplement for families which has done well and showed how far our staff are prepared to collaborate and put in the extra hours.

"It is patronising and simplistic to suggest we have not considered the commercial reality of our situation when we are made all too painfully aware of it on a daily basis."

• I've done articles on the strike for the Camden New Journal and TheMediaBriefing.
  

Pic: Journalists on strike outside the Enfield office (Jon Slattery)

A good day to bury news: Strikers stage mock funeral of titles in editorial quality dispute

A mock funeral for the newspapers at the centre of a dispute about editorial quality took place in the centre of Enfield today.

Nine NUJ members on strike at North London & Herts Newspapers organised the funeral to highlight staff shortages which they claim are harming the quality of their newspapers and could lead to them going out of business.

Led by NUJ FoC Jonathan Lovett, dressed as a priest, the journalists and their supporters carried a coffin with the names of some of their newspaper titles, which include the Enfield Advertiser, Enfield Gazette, Haringey Advertiser and Barnet Press, written on the side.

Lovett urged members of the public to write to the newspapers' owner, Sir Ray Tindle, to back their call for more staff. He said the journalists would end their action if they were given one more reporter and guarantees that staff would be replaced.

Lovett added: "This feels like the last stand for quality journalism in the borough. We've got just three reporters putting out nine newspapers. The strike was a last option."

NUJ head of publishing Barry Fitzpatrick told "mourners" the strike was "proof that journalists care". He said: "This is the frontline in a battle going on throughout the regional press."

Tindle Newspapers say the North London newspapers are losing money and being subsidised by the rest of the group. The strikers were warned in letters on the eve of the action that their newspapers may face reorganisation and there could be redundancies.

Pic: NUJ FoC Jonathan Lovett, dressed as a priest, leads the mock funeral through Enfield. (Jon Slattery)