Donny rally for striking South Yorks journalists

A rally is to be held in Doncaster on Saturday in support of striking journalists at South Yorkshire Newspapers who have started the 13th day of their indefinite action against job cuts and office closures planned by Johnston Press.

A march will start at Frenchgate, Doncaster at noon on Saturday before proceeding through Doncaster town centre before speeches in Doncaster market place near the offices of the Doncaster Free Press.

The NUJ wants Johnston Press group to use conciliation service ACAS to resolve the dispute. Journalists at the Doncaster Free Press, South Yorkshire Times, Selby Times and Epworth Bells.

NUJ general secretary Michelle Stanistreet said: "Johnston Press owes it to the newspapers' readers and the local communities to enter into meaningful negotiations to resolve the dispute.

“We want to make sure local news reflects the communities it serves and this battle is about quality and resources. The impact of the cuts is a stark threat not simply to our members’ livelihoods but to local news and the future of the industry.”

NUJ strike action at BBC and in South Yorkshire

NUJ members at the BBC have today started a second 24 hour strike action against compulsory redundancies while industrial action is continuing at South Yorkshire Newspapers over job cuts.

A work to rule will start when the BBC journalists return to work on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, NUJ members in South Yorkshire are continuing an indefinite strike action which started on Friday 15 July against job cuts at the Johnston-Press owned Doncaster Free Press, The South Yorkshire Times, The Selby Times and The Epworth Bells.

The NUJ is calling on management to enter into conciliation talks with ACAS to resolve the dispute. The union has requested a meeting with the new CEO of Johnston Press Ashley Highfield to discuss the future of the newspaper group and for him "to bring forward a new focus and commitment to quality and resources".

NUJ general secretary Michelle Stanistreet said: "NUJ members across the UK are fighting for the future of our profession. Job losses are disastrous for quality journalism and democracy in the UK. Management should stop the job cuts and get round the table with the NUJ."

The BBC said: "We are disappointed that the NUJ has gone ahead with today's strike and apologise to our audience for any disruption to services. Industrial action does not alter the fact that the BBC is faced with a number of potential compulsory redundancies following significant cuts to the central Government grants that support the World Service and BBC Monitoring.

"We will continue with our efforts to reduce the need for compulsory redundancies, however, the number of posts that we are having to close means that unfortunately it is likely to be impossible for us to avoid some compulsory redundancies."

NUJ calls for ACAS role over South Yorks strike

The NUJ is calling for Johnston Press to go to arbitration service ACAS in a bid to end the indefinite strike called by union members at its South Yorkshire Newspapers division over job cuts.

The cuts have been proposed at the South Yorkshire Times, Doncaster Free Press, Epworth Bells, Selby Times and Goole Courier.

Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ general secretary said: "We are calling on Johnston Press to enter into meaningful negotiations to resolve the dispute. We want to make sure local news reflects the communities it serves and this battle is about quality and resources. The impact of the cuts is a stark threat not simply to our members’ livelihoods but to local news and the future of the industry.”

The NUJ chapel has agreed a motion stating: “The senior management of South Yorkshire Newspapers (SYN) and indeed Johnston Press (JP) has shown that it is absolutely incapable of producing or expediting any kind of fair or lawful consultation on a redundancy plan which we believe will fatally damage its titles, our jobs and futures, and which will harm a free Press in this country.

"Instead the company has relied on a combination of bullying, harassment and bunker mentality to deliver a no-consultation approach in unlawfully pushing through these proposals. For this reason, the SYN chapel now calls on the auspices of the Government in the form of ACAS to intervene in this dispute.

"If the company yet again fails to engage, this demonstrates the complete moral, managerial and strategic redundancy of SYN and JP itself. The SYN NUJ chapel re-iterates its willingness to meaningfully negotiate a settlement of this dispute which does not harm our titles, our members or the future of the Press.”

NUJ tells Media Wales let's work on rescue plan

The NUJ at Trinity Mirror's Media Wales, publisher of the Western Mail, the South Wales Echo, and Wales on Sunday has rejected taking immediate industrial action over 22 proposed job cuts and says it wants to work on a rescue plan with the company.

The move comes after the company shared financial information with the union on a confidential basis.

NUJ Media Wales FoC Martin Shipton (pictured) said: "The Welsh economy is heavily dependent on the public sector, and there is no doubt that spending cuts imposed by the UK government have resulted in an unprecedented drop in revenue from recruitment and retail advertisers.

"We are seriously concerned about the future of the company and as part of the redundancy consultation process have called on the management to develop a rescue plan for the future in conjunction with the NUJ.

"The company has provided us with financial information on a confidential basis that has led us to reject industrial action as a realistic option at this time. Instead we are working to achieve the best possible outcome in the circumstances, both for those who will be leaving the company and those who will remain."

Under the proposed job cuts, some production jobs would go part-time, with work concentrated at peak hours towards the end of the day. There would be a reduction of eight full-time equivalent posts in production. Ten district jobs would go plus four from the sports department.

• The Welsh Assembly is to launch an investigation later this year in response to widespread cuts to the country’s press and broadcasting industries. A task group will be established in September to look at “emerging and future issues” faced by the media.

NUJ blames BBC licence fee deal on Murdoch influence and calls for it to be re-examined

The NUJ is calling for the BBC licence fee deal to be re-examined following claims in the Telegraph that the Tories scrapped a policy to top-slice the licence and share money with other broadcasters after being asked to by James Murdoch.

NUJ general secretary Michelle Stanistreet said: “Reports in the Daily Telegraph show that the Tories abandoned a plan which would ‘top slice’ the BBC licence fee and support other public service broadcasting because James Murdoch didn’t like it.

“David Cameron and his colleagues have been shamelessly prioritising the commercial interests of the Murdochs over those of the British public. The shabby deal on the BBC licence fee settlement was done behind closed doors last autumn, with no democratic scrutiny or transparent discussion. It marked a watershed in the BBC's 89-year history.

“The decision to freeze the licence fee for the next six years has led to the axing of vital language services at the BBC World Service and the imposition of 20 per cent spending cuts across the BBC. Quality public service journalism and the BBC audiences are suffering the consequences of this deal, clearly taken at a time when huge pressure was being exerted by News Corporation.

“The dodgy licence fee deal must now be re-examined as a matter of urgency in light of the latest revelations."

• A senior source told the Telegraph: "The last thing Sky wanted was other broadcasters getting a slice of the licence fee. The policy was amended accordingly."

  In 2009, the "Digital Britain" white paper by the then Labour government proposed a top-slicing deal which would have seen £130 million taken from the BBC's licence fee and used to fund independent regional news as well as children's programmes.

Workie out after South Yorks strikers protest

The NUJ says Johnston Press management has ended the work experience placement of a teenager who the union claimed was being used to try and break the indefinite strike by journalists at South Yorkshire Newspapers.

The union protested after claiming the 16-year-old had his work experience on the sports desk at the group's Selby Times extended when the strike over job cuts began at the Selby Times, Doncaster Free Press and South Yorkshire Times.

It said the teenager was being asked to write news stories to help fill the strike hit paper.

NUJ negotiator Lawrence Shaw said: "Our strikers have every sympathy with young people who want work experience because they're interested in pursuing a career in journalism . But management at the Selby Times was exploiting that interest so the experience the young man was being offered was in strike breaking. We're glad that exploitation has now stopped."

• South Yorks strikers launch 'bootleg' newspapers
  

NUJ welcomes Leveson inquiry into media ethics and calls for tough penalties for code breakers

The NUJ has welcomed the terms of Lord Justice Leveson's inquiry into media behaviour and called for tough penalties for organisations that break the union's code of conduct.

The union says it offers the opportunity to create a serious regulatory body across the media which would work to uphold ethical standards and guarantee protection for journalists determined to abide by the NUJ code of conduct.

The self-regulatory body should provide for serious penalties for media organisations which break the code, said NUJ general secretary Michelle Stanistreet (top), as well as offering a reliable mechanism to deal with complaints from the public.

“Central to the development of an ethical environment for modern journalism must be a guarantee that journalists who uphold professional standards will be protected against management pressure to chase circulation by behaving unethically,” she said.

“No journalist should be threatened with the sack for standing up for quality journalism. The Murdoch scandal has created circumstances in which the media, journalists, and society as a whole can now move forward and design a new model of self-regulation which serves the interests of the public and the media industry in an honourable way.

“The Leveson inquiry must also address the issue of media ownership across the entire newspaper industry. The NUJ has drawn attention to the damage being done by media giants who have swallowed up and asset-stripped so many of our local and regional newspapers. The damage done to the quality of local journalism, as jobs are axed and content compromised, is a threat to democracy as well as a disservice to loyal local readers."

The remit of the Leveson inquiry will include broadcasting and social media. Two of the six people working with Lord Justice Levenson are journalists, the former political editor of Channel 4 News, Elinor Goodman, and the former political editor of the Daily Telegraph, George Jones.

The others are the former Ofcom director David Currie, Liberty director Shami Chakrabarti, Sir David Bell, the former chairman of the Financial Times, and Sir Paul Scott-Lee, a former police chief.

The NUJ has already revived its call for a "conscience clause" which would protect journalists from the sack if they refused to do unethical journalism in breach of the code of conduct.

Pic Jon Slattery

Workies being used to cover for strikers says NUJ

Striking South Yorkshire NUJ journalists claim their management is using work placement volunteers to "unwittingly undermine" the industrial action launched by the NUJ last Friday to protest at job cuts.

The union claims that at the Selby Times – one of four South Yorkshire Newspapers titles where NUJ journalists are on indefinite strike after the announcement by the Johnston Press-owned company of 18 editorial job cuts – a 16-year-old has been asked to extend his work experience by a week.

The teenager, who originally approached the paper asking to shadow the sports editor, is believed by the union to have been asked to work on both news and sports stories by the paper which is down to just an editor and sports editor

Journalists at the Doncaster Free Press, another paper involved in the dispute, also believe young people on work experience are being used to help publish their paper this week, as almost all the paper’s journalists are on strike.

NUJ negotiator Lawrence Shaw said: “We want a full and unambiguous assurance from management that they are not relying on youngsters and students working for free to produce content to get their newspapers out.

“If SYN management were found to be abusing the goodwill of youngsters to break the strike it would be utterly unforgivable. They need to make it clear they are not doing this.”

Trinity Mirror plans to axe 22 jobs at Media Wales

NUJ members at Trinity Mirror's Media Wales, which publishes the Western Mail, South Wales Echo, Wales on Sunday, and other titles, are demanding immediate talks with management after plans to cut 22 editorial jobs were announced.

Under the management proposals, 10 district office staff, eight production journalists and four members of the sports staff would be made redundant.

The NUJ chapel members unanimously passed a motion criticising the pay packet of Trinity Mirror chief executive Sly Bailey. It reads: "This Chapel expresses shock at the scale of editorial cuts being proposed by the management of Media Wales.

"While recognising the especially challenging nature of the trading climate in Wales, it is determined to do everything possible to protect the jobs, wages and conditions of its members, as well as the quality of our products.

"The Chapel instructs the Chapel committee to enter immediate talks with management to secure the best possible outcome and authorises the committee to take whatever action it sees fit in association with the union's national officers, including organising a strike ballot.

"The Chapel also expresses its outrage at the obscene level of remuneration enjoyed by Trinity Mirror chief executive Sly Bailey - £1.7m in 2010 - and her fellow directors and calls on them to volunteer for a pay cut."

Father of the Chapel Martin Shipton said: "We shall be entering an intensive period of negotiation with management to mitigate the damage to our members' livelihood and the newspapers we produce.

"Members are especially angry that while they are expected to lose their jobs or in some cases take pay cuts, Sly Bailey and her fellow directors continue to be paid obscene amounts of money."

NUJ: 'BBC not interested in talks to avert strike'

The NUJ has accused BBC management of avoiding talks to head off the 24-hour nation-wide strike by journalists which is due to begin at midnight tonight over the issue of compulsory redundancies.

The union's general secretary Michelle Stanistreet said: “Union representatives have tried hard to resolve this serious dispute through negotiation. We have even agreed to use the ACAS conciliation service to try to find a way forward.

"But BBC senior management has shown no real interest in negotiations. It is hard to avoid the conclusion that BBC management wants thousands of its journalists to go on strike tomorrow, rather than settle the dispute.

“If that is the case it confirms our members’ worst fears about the management strategy of introducing compulsory redundancy at the BBC. The massive vote for strike action by journalists across the BBC reflected their fear for the future as well as their solidarity with colleagues already being targeted and singled out for the sack.

“Management indifference to settling our dispute suggests that our members’ concern that many more redundancies are planned is fully justified. We have offered to meet the BBC next week or when it’s convenient to the BBC, and have asked management to extend the leaving dates of those individuals immediately affected by redundancy in order to allow the talks to take place. Management has refused. We also offered to meet with the BBC at ACAS today. Management has refused."

NUJ urges re-think on 'dodgy' BBC licence deal

The NUJ has called for the BBC licence fee deal to be re-examined in the light of revelations surrounding the "disturbing influence" of Rupert Murdoch and his News International executives on David Cameron and senior government ministers.

The call comes as NUJ members at the BBC prepare for a 24-hour strike on Friday against compulsory redundancies.

General secretary Michelle Stanistreet said: “As the News International scandal deepens it is becoming increasingly clear that David Cameron and others at the heart of government have been in thrall to Rupert Murdoch, shamelessly prioritising the commercial interests of one powerful man over those of the British public.

“The shabby deal on the BBC licence fee settlement was done behind closed doors last Autumn, with no democratic scrutiny or transparent discussion. It marked a watershed in the Corporation’s 89-year history.

“Can David Cameron and George Osborne honestly say that there was no Murdoch influence behind the decision to freeze the licence fee for the next six years? That decision has led to the axing of vital language services at the BBC World Service and the imposition of 20 per cent spending cuts across the BBC.

"Quality public service journalism and the BBC audience are suffering the consequences of this deal, clearly taken at a time when huge pressure was being exerted by News International executives."

She noted that last night Channel 4 News reported claims that friends of Gordon Brown believe the Murdoch empire turned its fire on him because he refused to adopt their demands, cutting back BBC TV and online services and the broadcasting regulator Ofcom, while David Cameron, in the run up to the election, was readier to say what Murdoch wanted to hear.

“It is vital that the dodgy licence fee deal should now be re-examined as a matter of urgency in light of recent developments," she said.

NUJ: 'The NoW has gone but the scandal remains'

The NUJ has added its voice to demands for a debate in the Commons on Wednesday (July 13) on the proposed BSkyB deal and is calling for it to be halted pending the outcome of a public inquiry and criminal investigation into phone hacking.

NUJ general secretary Michelle Stanistreet said: “It is vital that this deal is halted until the results of the criminal investigation and the public inquiry are publicly available.

"A survey carried out at the weekend shows that only one in ten members of the public believes Murdoch is a 'fit and proper person' to run BSkyB – a damning insight into the scale of public anger about this scandal.

“The News of the World may have gone, but the scandal remains. With every day that passes, the extent of the cover up perpetrated at the highest level of News International becomes clear. The ‘smoking gun’ emails have been known about for at least four years and level of the hush money payments forked out has been staggering."

She added: “Any future press regulatory system must work to ensure the public can have trust in its media, in the democratically vital service that journalism is. The 'fit and proper' test of media ownership should now be applied to all of Murdoch’s press and media in the UK.”

Send up the clowns - Newsquest on strike

NUJ members at Newsquest South London began their second strike over redundancies today dressed as clowns.

According to the union, the strikers "wanted to mirror the image of those making decisions" such as axing the whole sports and leisure department of eight journalists and making one commercial features writer redundant. The sports editor and one sports sub editor have already been made redundant.

The NUJ says for the first time, senior management has agreed to negotiate with the chapel and talks will take place on Monday 27 June.

The titles involved in the dispute are the Epsom Guardian, Elmbridge Guardian, Croydon Guardian, Sutton Guardian, Kingston Guardian, Streatham Guardian, Wimbledon Guardian, Wandsworth Guardian, Surrey Comet and Richmond & Twickenham Times.

UPDATE: The

Newsquest journalists in South London called off their four-day strike after negotiating an agreement to resolve the dispute over redundancies.

NUJ chapel members voted to accept an agreement to replace vacancies occurring over the next six months and to retain two extra editorial positions. The 33 Newsquest journalists had opposed management plans which included axing the whole sports and leisure department (eight journalists) and making one commercial features writer redundant. Staff returned to work at Newsquest offices in Sutton and Twickenham on Wednesday (June 29), ending a work to rule and calling off the last two days of a four-day strike, following negotiations which began last Monday.

NUJ head of publishing Barry Fitzpatrick said: “The outcome of this dispute shows the need for management to work together with the NUJ to tackle the problems of the newspaper industry.

“This is the first NUJ dispute with Newsquest in which the group’s management has been willing to sit round the table with the union to reach agreement. That reflects the impressive achievement of our NUJ chapel in recruiting so many journalists into the union, and then negotiating a settlement from a position of strength.

“NUJ members at Newsquest in South London deserve our highest praise for their determination to see this dispute through to a satisfactory conclusion.The NUJ is committed to the survival of local newspapers, but we need the co-operation of managements across the industry to ensure that."

• During their last strike the Newsquest NUJ members dressed as cowboys.

South Yorkshire journalists to ballot on action

Nearly twenty journalists at the Johnston Press-owned South Yorkshire Newspapers are to ballot on industrial action over 18 threatened redundancies after members of the NUJ chapel voted no confidence in their management.

The NUJ claims the redundancies would cause particular damage to the weekly South Yorkshire Times title at its office in Mexborough.

NUJ Northern and Midlands organiser Chris Morley said: "Management’s proposals show how flimsy are the Johnston Press claims to believe in local journalism to serve the communities where its newspapers circulate.

"The company has chosen to attack the editorial department of one of the best performing titles for circulation in its stable. The South Yorkshire Times has fought hard for its reputation as a campaigning newspaper that digs out stories people want to read but this seems to cut no ice with the corporate bean counters.

"Our members are in no mood to accept these wholesale cuts which merely undermine the jobs that remain for the future. It is a disastrous blend of hopelessness and defeatism and shows that Johnston Press has no idea or strategy to grow the business or defend its staff and customers with a positive strategy.”

Tindle North London staff vote for more strikes

NUJ members at North London & Herts Newspapers, owned by Sir Ray Tindle, have voted for more strike action in the dispute over low staffing and quality of editorial.

The 100 per cent support for action - which included the editor joining the ballot for the first time - was, the NUJ chapel says, the result of management's refusal to meet or even discuss the staffing at the Enfield-based papers, where two thirds of the newsdesk have left without being replaced.

The chapel claims that even before their two-week strike two months ago there were just three reporters "churning out" nine newspapers. Since then, one of the three has handed in her notice, meaning they are now faced two reporters writing nine papers. The union also claims management has cut freelance cover for photographic, production and editorial.

FoC Jonathan Lovett (top left) said: "The latest cuts and suicidal policy of non-replacement is final proof that Tindle couldn't give a damn about quality papers. The man who claims he is the saviour of local newspapers is, in our experience, the destroyer as he runs once loved, award-winning publications into the ground - an insult to our readers. The battle for the soul of the local press is raging up and down the country and now is the time for chapels, journalists and concerned readers to stand up and be counted before it is too late and fantastic local papers that once made a difference in their communities are consigned to the scrap heap."

Tindle Newspapers have condemned the strike action taken by the NUJ members and has claimed it would be "irresponsible" for the North London company to take on new people or increase pay because of the centre's rising losses.

Tindle Newspapers says it is the only newspaper group to have avoided redundancies among journalists in the recession to date.

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

• The NUJ has chosen Enfield as the launch pad for a national campaign to save local newspapers. A public forum will take place at 6.30pm on Monday, July 4 at the Dugdale Centre, Thomas Hardy House, London Road, Enfield Town, EN2 6DS. A range of speakers including MPs and the new general secretary of the NUJ, Michelle Stanistreet.
• NUJ members at Newsquest South London began a two-day strike today over job cuts.
• Pic: Jon Slattery
  

NUJ warning over journalism jobs meltdown

The flow of vital news and information to the public is threatened by continuing savage cuts to jobs in newspapers and broadcasting, the NUJ warned today.

The warning follows a surge in editorial job cuts announced last week at the BBC and newspapers around the UK.

According to the NUJ, the BBC has proposed 1,500 job cuts in BBC news. More than 100 people are now at risk of compulsory redundancy in the BBC World Service. NUJ members are also at risk in BBC Monitoring, BBC Scotland, and potentially at BBC Wales, BBC 4, BBC Sport and TV Current Affairs.

Last week the NUJ held urgent talks in Glasgow with the Daily Record following the announcement that up to 90 editorial jobs could go as part of a restructuring exercise. The Midland News Association is pushing ahead with 35 redundancies in Shropshire Newspapers and 60 jobs are also at risk at the Wolverhampton Express & Star.

Journalists at Newsquest in South London will strike on Wednesday and Thursday this week (June 15 and 16) in a dispute over redundancies and in support of quality local journalism. This week will also see BBC NUJ members start a ballot for strike action on compulsory redundancies at the Corporation.

While jobs are threatened at the BBC, the new chairman of the BBC Trust Lord Patten has indicated that protecting the World Service is a priority for the corporation.

NUJ general secretary-elect Michelle Stanistreet (top) said: "The NUJ welcomes the commitment by Lord Patten to put a stop to the damaging cuts at the BBC World Service. We are pleased he has recognised the international protests against the cuts which echoed everything that BBC journalists have said about their concern for the service they provide.

“The continuing attacks on our members’ jobs are a result of the continuing economic meltdown. The NUJ is determined to take all action necessary to defend the jobs of journalists and to protect the vital public service they provide.”

• Pic: Michelle Stanistreet at 'Save the World Service' demo at Bush House ( Jon Slattery).

NUJ not game for Johnston Press free bingo offer

The NUJ has scorned a Johnston Press offer to the group's journalists to play free games of online bingo.

According to the union, JP is telling its staff that they can now play 40 free games of Johnston’s online bingo, proclaiming that this "staff offer is even better" than the 30 free games available to the group’s newspaper readers.

Noting that the group have made 230 journalists redundant in the past year, NUJ negotiator Jenny Lennox said: “It seems that the real lottery for journalists at Johnston’s is whether or not they will still have a job in a year’s time.

“We have been warning for more than a year that the Johnston Press group is being run into the ground. This once-proud newspaper group has destroyed the bond of trust with its journalists, and is destroying a well-regarded brand, further reducing the credibility of the titles in the eyes of its readers.

“It will take a lot more than Bingo to restore that reputation, and the NUJ demands that Johnston management begins today to work with its skilled and dedicated journalists to rebuild a stable of newspapers of which readers, staff and the group can be proud.”

News Shopper NUJ members in second 'no confidence' vote in Newsquest management

NUJ members at the Newsquest-owned News Shopper newspaper have unanimously voted no confidence in their South London Newsquest management, the union said today.

The move reflects a similar vote this month by Newsquest colleagues in Sutton and Twickenham who are now balloting on industrial action with a result due at the end of the month.

The News Shopper journalists voted no confidence in their regional managing director Roger Mills and director of advertising Dene Stuart.

The NUJ says the vote came after the newsroom was required to take an overnight cut of £35,000 in its editorial budget, resulting in the compulsory redundancy of the News Shopper's deputy editor. It also says journalists were also told that there will be no pay rise at News Shopper for a fourth consecutive year.

A letter to management from the News Shopper NUJ chapel said: “Newsquest lifted its moratorium on pay rises across the group this year and a large number of centres across the group have already received a two per cent pay rise. Although two per cent may could be considered paltry when one takes into account people have waited three years to receive it, it was nevertheless a welcome addition to people's pay packets.

“Our pay claim was lodged in January when no warning of redundancy was in existence, let alone any redundancies announced. Yet despite an agreement which binds News Shopper to open negotiations once the claim has been received, no talks were forthcoming and still have not materialised, despite further requests."

NUJ letter to Trinity shareholders bashes Bailey

This is the text of an NUJ letter given out to Trinity Mirror shareholders attending yesterday's AGM.

Dear Shareholder,

In 2004, Trinity Mirror had a turnover of £1.14 billion, operating profits of £243 million and more than 11,100 staff.

But the 2010 Annual Report reveals turnover is now down 16 per cent from that period to just £761 million, operating profits have been slashed 66 per cent to only £86 million andthe total number of group employees has been cut by nearly half.

Although the share price reached a year high of £6.65 in 2004, shareholders have seen it wither to about 50p today. And, of course recently, dividends have not been paid.

In the last five years, while Trinity’s shares have lost 80 per cent of their value, those in the FTSE 250 index have risen about 55 per cent.

The reason the NUJ asks you to go back to 2004 is because that was the first full year of Sly Bailey’s tenure at the head of Trinity Mirror. And particularly, it is because despite presiding over a vastly shrunken business, Sly’s own financial interests have not suffered.

She has handsomely negotiated the downturn with a base salary that has risen 36 per cent in the last six years from £550,000 to £750,000 and overall, Sly’s total remuneration package has swollen from £1.23 million to a huge £1.71 million now.

The NUJ is not against successful managers who sensibly expand their business and use their skills wisely to create the wealth to better shareholders and staff. We think that if they do this, they can justify decent pay packages. But we ask: Given the above record, can Sly and her directors really justify their burgeoning incomes?

Now Trinity’s board says it is lining up £10 million “structural” cost savings this year which will cost £10 million to implement. The NUJ believes after years of cuts the morale of staff is on the floor and the jobs massacre must stop.

The company has stabilised its financial position and appears to have debt under control, so if Trinity is to be successful in the future it needs to start the investment in the talents of its staff today.

Trinity Mirror’s future success depends on its staff who have performed impressively in the face of falling living standards and job cuts. But it is clear that when excessive boardroom pay is pitchedagainst poor staff rewards, the collective drive within the company with be damaged.We can help put a brake on that with your help. Please join with us in highlighting these issues with management today.

National Union of Journalists

Journalists in 'no confidence' vote at Newsquest

The NUJ says its members have passed a vote of no confidence in two senior managers at Newsquest South West London following the announcement of further redundancies at the company.

The unanimous votes by NUJ members against managing director Roger Mills and director of advertising Dene Stuart came after a company decision to make an unspecified number of editorial staff redundant while the group's titles continue to make substantial profits, claims the union.

It says members believe the redundancies, which will take place within the next three months, are a direct result of Roger Mills’ management after he took on responsibility for Newsquest East London and Newsquest London in addition to his role as managing director of Newsquest South London.

The journalists say they have also lost confidence in Dene Stuart over his failure to implement new ideas to bring in revenue through the group's well-read newspapers and websites.

• Journalists working for Newsquest in South London are to ballot on industrial action over redundancies. The ballot of 25 NUJ members working at Sutton and Twickenham will begin on Monday, May 16 with a result due at the end of the month.