York journalists' fury as bosses U-turn on pay-docking

Maybe we tempted fate when we said last week that things had been a bit quiet recently, because today has marked a new low in Newsquest's handling of the ongoing pay dispute at The Press and the Gazette and Herald.

Members of the NUJ Newsquest York chapel held a ten-minute mandatory meeting at 10am today to take a vote on important chapel business and then returned to the office and suspended the meeting after being told by Steve Hughes, managing editor of The Press, that they would not be docked pay for today.

Journalists resumed work - and there was plenty of it, with stories being filed and pages subbed in earnest ahead of the Christmas and New Year period - and the next thing on the horizon appeared to be agreed talks with management over our 2013 pay claim early in January. We hoped this may be a step towards resolving this dispute. Until...

At 1.30pm today, three hours after the York chapel's members had returned to work and with more than half a day under their belts, chapel representatives were informed by Steve Hughes that members would, after all, be docked a full day's pay due to that morning's industrial action. The catalyst for this was apparently an article about the mandatory meeting which appeared in the trade press today, with the full consent of the chapel.

Following further discussions, NUJ members walked out of the office - the second time in less than two months a ten-minute meeting has led to a whole day's salary being stopped. What makes today even worse is that the chapel firmly considers its members to have been totally misled by management and left in a position where they worked hard for hours on end for ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

Ironically, the notification of the pay stoppage was announced just as an e-mail Christmas card arrived from Newsquest Yorkshire & North East Ltd managing director David Coates thanking staff for their work during the year.


Joint Fathers of Chapel Tony Kelly and Mark Stead have branded the management U-turn "embarrassing" and "double-dealing", saying: "Our members took action today fully aware of the potential consequences and did so because principles mean more than money.

"What we cannot tolerate is that we are the victims of management misinformation. We were explicitly told we would not be docked pay, only for this to be U-turned on hours later.

"Members have worked for more than half a day under false pretences and essentially for free. This has left an extremely bitter taste and an atmosphere of immense distrust at a time when there was hope of progress being made in this dispute.

"We cannot accept this ridiculous and unfair treatment. We are absolutely furious and it is a huge setback in terms of reaching a solution."

Chris Morley, NUJ Northern & Midlands Organiser said: "I am deeply shocked by the volte face carried out by management in which members were persuaded to suspend their industrial action and return to their desks - only to be informed hours later they would be docked pay anyway.

"This is truly outrageous behaviour by the company and potentially has seriously put back the possibility of finding a solution to this crisis as members rightly feel betrayed and provoked by their own company.

"After a year in which management has led the chapel along with promises of periodic reviews of the pay situation which resulted in a big fat zero increase yet again for members, confidence in what the company says is at an all-time low.

"By double dealing in this way, the senior managers have poured petrol on a dispute that just will not go away until they show a real commitment to tackle the growing hardship for a well-trained, experienced and award-winning team of journalists. The measly sum saved by this action of docking pay will probably pay for just a few days of the directors' annual - and ill deserved - bonus."

The union is now seeking legal advice over the issue. In the meantime, the York chapel is encouraging readers, York residents and journalists around the country to tell Steve Hughes and David Coates what they think.


Key Twitter accounts are @NUJYork, @yorkpress, @presssteveh and @echodavidcoates using the hashtag #fairyork

We'll keep you informed...

NUJ York pay battle: pre-Christmas update

Sorry it's been a bit quiet on the blog for a while, but just to bring you up to speed with the state of things regarding the NUJ Newsquest York chapel's ongoing pay dispute with Newsquest Yorkshire & North East.

Since our walk-out at the start of November, it has continued to be made abundantly clear that journalists in York will receive no pay rise for 2012. Our mandate for industrial action continues until the end of this month, and we have this week given notification to management of a pre-Christmas mandatory chapel meeting which will start at 10am on Thursday, December 20.

2012 represents the third year in the last four that a pay freeze has been imposed on York journalists. This makes for an unhappy Christmas for our members and we did not want the festive season to pass without our continuing anger and frustration being highlighted to Newsquest Yorkshire & North East as well as discussing our plans and our options for the New Year.

This dispute is not going away. We have fought for fair play and fair play in 2012 and we will do so again in 2013. Together with our NUJ colleagues at Newsquest Yorkshire & North East's other centres in Bradford - whose chapel also have a mandate for industrial action - and Darlington, we have submitted a joint pay claim for 2013 to regional management. The aim of this is to avoid the sort of divisive pay-bargaining which has been Newsquest's standard practice in the past, and we are now awaiting the company's response and the commencement art of proper negotiations.

Our pay review date is January 1 and we will keep you posted on developments, but the York chapel is prepared to keep fighting for the pay we deserve as a profitable company pleads poverty and those considerable profits go into the pockets of American shareholders at the expense of proud local newspapers and quality journalism.

We hope this dispute can be resolved quickly and amicably. But we are not prepared to endure the sort of delaying tactics and prevarication which have been the hallmark of pay talks during 2012, with no financial reward at the end of it for the talent, dedication, graft journalists in York and elsewhere display on a daily basis and the extra duties they have to take on amid shrinking staff levels and cutbacks.

More information about our industrial action on Thursday can be found at http://www.nuj.org.uk/innerPagenuj.html?docid=2739, http://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/2012/news/regional-journalists-to-take-industrial-action-before-christmas/
http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/content/nuj-members-york-take-industrial-action-next-week-response-ongoing-pay-freeze

If you want to send good-luck messages to the York chapel ahead of Thursday, you can do so by e-mailing joint FoCs Mark Stead and Tony Kelly at mark.stead75@hotmail.co.uk and kelz.7@virgin.net, or at our Twitter page at @NUJYork.

Once again, we want to thank everybody, both within the NUJ and outside the union, who has sent us messages of support and goodwill in recent weeks, and also for all the financial donations we have received following Newsquest's decision to dock our members who took part in industrial action on November 7 a full day's pay for a ten-minute meeting. We are extremely grateful and it has shown yet again the solidarity which exists within the NUJ and across the union movement.

And finally: we urge all Newsquest chapels who, like us, are not getting a fair deal on pay to make 2013 the year in which we ALL show our paymasters that we are not prepared to stand for this any more, through concerted pressure and, if necessary, co-ordinated industrial action. We are strong in isolation, but much stronger in unison.

York journalists call for mass pay freeze protest

First off, thank you from the NUJ York chapel for all the messages of support from our journalist colleagues around the UK and for the donation pledges which have streamed in since our industrial action on Wednesday, when we were docked a full day's pay for taking a ten-minute mandatory chapel meeting.

Your backing and solidarity is massively appreciated and has heartened and inspired our members even more during a week which, while draining, has strengthened our commitment to fight for fair pay, together with our colleagues in Bradford and Essex who are also taking industrial action over Newsquest's refusal to reward us with the pay we deserve for the talent, imagination and commitment we show every day of our working lives.

But if we are to break Newsquest down over pay, it needs concerted action from chapels at all the company's centres. Taking industrial action can be a daunting step. But it is completely justified when your efforts and your ability are being ignored in terms of the amount which stares back at your from your monthly wage slip and the brick wall, plastered with excuses, this profitable company puts up whenever it comes to money (at least for its journalists, that is).

We can win this battle if all Newsquest chapels stand together knowing they have colleagues across the country in the corner. You don't have to suffer in silence - you can use the power of the union to force your bosses to the table and get the pay you deserve.

Remember, Newsquest's chief executive Paul Davidson was paid £598,441 in 2011, the last year for which figures are available. He and his fellow directors shared performance cash payments of £268,000. Directors were awarded a further £881,000 in the form of these mysterious and opaque "share-based payments". As for staff, the amount they received fell 7.5 per cent in 2011, with editorial staffing levels dropping by 108 jobs, or 6.8 per cent. And this is while Newsquest's parent company, Gannett, was making a £56.8 million operating profit.

The treatment we are forced to endure is unfair, insulting, dismissive and just plain wrong. We are the people who matter in this company. So stand up for your rights and join us and other chapels in fighting for those rights. There has never been a better time to show Newsquest just how much of a force to be reckoned with the NUJ really is.

* Follow the York chapel on Twitter at @NUJYork and stay tuned to this blogspot for our latest news. If you want to send messages of support or just want to know more about our fight for fair pay, e-mail Joint FoCs Mark Stead amd Tony Kelly at mark.stead75@hotmail.co.uk and kelz.7@virgin.net

* See http://www.nuj.org.uk/innerPagenuj.html?docid=2698 for more info on the York and Bradford chapels' call for Newsquest-wide action on pay.

Journalists take fresh stand over pay

MEMBERS of the NUJ Newsquest York chapel have today faced down their paymasters as their battle for fair pay continues.

Journalists at The Press and the Gazette & Herald walked out of their Walmgate office in protest this morning after being told they would be docked a full day's pay following a mandatory chapel meeting which lasted ten minutes - the length of a coffee break.

The meeting was the latest stage of the York chapel's campaign of industrial action against Newsquest Yorkshire & North East, which runs both titles and has denied its editorial staff a pay rise in 2012 - the third time in four years they have seen their salaries frozen as inflation rises, newsroom staffing levels shrink and journalists take on extra duties for no reward.

This is the same Newsquest Yorkshire & North East whose latest available accounts, for 2011, show the company made a £1.87 million pre-tax profit, saved £600,000 on pension contributions, cut editorial staff while recruiting more finance personnel and management, and also made a £44,000 "share-based payment" to unnamed recipients - but presumably including senior managers and directors - for unspecified duties, which smacks of a bonus by a company which is pleading poverty. That £44,000 is enough to pay the annual wages of two senior journalists.

At the same time, editorial staff in Darlington - whose paper, The Northern Echo, is also run by Newsquest Yorkshire & North East - were awarded a two per cent pay rise from the start of April, covering the rest of the year, but their colleagues at York and Bradford got nothing. And even the Darlington pay rise was, in the York chapel's estimation, nowhere near enough to recognise the efforts and abilities of their journalists.

Proposals by the York chapel as potential alternatives to a 2012 pay rise - including extra holidays, a reduced working fortnight while retaining current pay levels, a lump-sum payment and company shares - have all been rebuffed. This impasse led members to vote to stage mandatory chapel meetings at 10am every day this week.

Upon their return to the office after this morning's ten-minute meeting, members were informed by Steve Hughes, managing editor of The Press, that a full day's pay would be docked unless the chapel called off all industrial action planned for the rest of the week. The chapel refused and members switched off computers and left work immediately.

Joint Fathers of Chapel Tony Kelly and Mark Stead said: "We believe the management response to be intolerable and utterly unjustified.

"We are in the midst of legally-balloted industrial action, so to penalise our members for a ten-minute meeting is against all concepts of fairness. Our members attended today's meeting in the full knowledge they faced losing a day's pay, once again demonstrating their commitment to our cause, but remain angry and disappointed at the continuing intransigence of Newsquest management.

"We are not asking for the moon. We are simply asking for a fair pay rise from a company which is making significant profits for its management and the shareholders of its parent company, Gannett Inc, in the United States."

We'll be updating this blog as regularly as possible with the latest on the York pay dispute over the coming weeks. You can also send ideas and messages of support to mark.stead75@hotmail.co.uk and kelz.7@virgin.net - and follow us on Twitter at @NUJYork. And we'd be grateful if you could post the message below on your Twitter feeds:

In York & Bradford @newsquestmedia have frozen pay 3 yrs in 4, while making £2m profits. Pls tell @EchoDavidCoates your views & RT this

Journalists continue action

NUJ York has taken further industrial action, after Newsquest sought to impose compulsory redundancies at The Press.
The chapel held a mandatory meeting on Friday, after two long-serving journalists were told they were losing their jobs. Journalists walked out at noon and did not return to work that day.
Joint fathers of chapel Tony Kelly and Gavin Aitchison said: "We have warned Newsquest repeatedly that we will not tolerate compulsory redundancies. The union has identified and proposed alternative savings, worth tens of thousands of pounds, which negated the need for compulsory job losses.
"These proposals have not been implemented. Despite a conciliatory approach, and our best efforts, two of York's most loyal and devoted journalists have now been told they will lose their jobs, in order to satisfy the excessive demands of Newsquest's American owners and shareholders. It is utterly unacceptable."
Further meetings have been planned for the next four days, including an all-day walk-out on Thursday.

Journalists take a stand

Journalists at The Press and Gazette and Herald in York walked out of work as their dispute with management over job losses continued.

Members of NUJ chapel held a 12-hour meeting yesterday [Tuesday 24 February], starting at noon and finishing at midnight. The meeting, held in the Five Lions pub in Walmgate, York, came following last Friday’s announcement that seven out of 59 editorial jobs were to go at the Newsquest titles.

It was the latest in a series of mandatory meetings held by the chapel in recent weeks, but the first to last more than an hour. It is believed to have caused major disruption to both the daily title, The Press, and its weekly sister-paper, the Gazette and Herald, which prints on a Tuesday.

The NUJ has called for guarantees that Newsquest will not force through compulsory job losses at the papers, to no avail. The decision to stay out all afternoon yesterday followed the release, by managing editor Steve Hughes, of a skills matrix, proposed for use in the event of compulsory lay-offs.

Joint Fathers of Chapel, Tony Kelly and Gavin Aitchison, said: “We have been pressing the company for nearly two months to assure our members that there will be no compulsory redundancies. Newsquest has failed to give that assurance, and having seen the arbitrary and unjust assessment criteria proposed by the company, the chapel decided it was time to take a stand.

“The Press and Gazette and Herald have suffered horrific cuts in recent years. The papers have been mismanaged and mistreated, and further cuts will only serve to further hinder our ability to serve our readers in York, North Yorkshire and East Yorkshire.

“Newsquest (York) Ltd has repeatedly recorded multi-million profits, which have been shipped to its parent company in the United States. The journalists and readers of The Press and Gazette and Herald deserve better than Newsquest is able or willing to offer.”

Adam Christie, NUJ National Executive Council member for the North East of England, who attended the meeting, said: “If taking action is the only way journalists can get their voices heard, then this is what we will have to do.”

More cuts announced

SEVEN out of 59 editorial jobs are set to be cut at The Press in York.
Newsquest management announced the cuts in a staff meeting on the newsroom floor this afternoon.
The proposed cuts include four journalists, two editorial support staff and a graphic artist.
NUJ York today condemned the decision, the latest in a series of cut-backs at The Press.
In a statement, joint fathers of chapel Tony Kelly and Gavin Aitchison said: "The Press and its journalists have been battered by repeated and callous cuts in recent years, placing serious strain on our ability to serve the people of York, North Yorkshire and East Yorkshire.
"Today's announcement is a further body-blow to local journalism in our region. We have no faith whatsoever in Newsquest's commitment to quality journalism, nor its ability to deliver it."
The NUJ chapel has already given notice of industrial action for every weekday between now and March 30.
Jenny Lennox, NUJ Assistant Organiser, said: “By giving notice of discontinuous industrial action, starting afresh every day at noon, the chapel has the option of meeting whenever they feel the need to.”
Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ Deputy General Secretary, also condemned the cuts.
She said: "Our chapel is very resourceful and we will support them fully in their battle to defend journalists and journalism.”
The news comes as journalists at the Yorkshire Post - which also covers York - and its sister paper the Yorkshire Evening Post are striking over redundancies.

NUJ Leeds the way

Journalists at the Yorkshire Post and Yorkshire Evening Post have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action, over savage cuts planed by Johnston Press.
The NUJ will be striking from Thursday 19 February to Sunday 22 February, and again from Thursday 26 February to Sunday 1 March.

NUJ York backs the NUJ Leeds chapel 100% in their fight against Johnston's continued butchery of local journalism.

A Facebook group has been set up for anyone wanting to show their support to the journalists. NUJ York will also be joining NUJ Leeds on the picket line during the strike.

Back on the go...

After a six-month hiatus, we're planning to get the blog up and running as a regular source of NUJ York news. Watch this space...

Sing when you're winning

After the conclusion of this year's pay deal, NUJ members at Newsquest York rounded off their campaign with a social event at the city's Minster Inn on July 16.

The evening, atttended by most chapel members, featured subeditor-striker-singer Richard Foster performing his popular strike song Things I Learnt This Year as well as a new tune about the dispute: Gannett Mean And Petty. Click on the picture above to see video of his performance. His set list also included Bob Dylan's You Ain't Going Nowhere, Billy Bragg's Between the Wars, Part of the Union by The Stawbs and, of course, Always Look on the Bright Side of Life. More videos are available on the chapel's YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/nujyork

First with the news

The conclusion of our recent pay deal has been covered across the trade press: on the Media Guardian website, Hold The Front Page, Journalism.co.uk and the media industry weekly Press Gazette.

Some of the stories were changed after management refuted the fact that new trainees will get an increase of 17% (going from £13,449 to £16,188) after a three-month probationary period rate was scrapped. This is, in fact, the case and it will make a real difference to new starters who are struggling with student debt and rising living costs in an expensive city like York. We have also set a new baseline in the fight against low pay.

In traditional Newsquest style, the bosses did not issue a statement themselves. Who would have thought we work in the communications industry? Likewise, The Press's own coverage of the pay deal was meagre at best. A small nib on page seven of today's paper reads:

Pay offer accepted
Members of the National Union of Journalists at The Press have accepted the company's three per cent pay offer, ending a ten-month dispute. NUJ members at the newspaper and its sister title, the weekly Gazette & Herald, owned by the Newsquest Media Group, staged a five-day strike in May following a deadlock in talks. Agreement has now been reached following further talks between management, NUJ officials and the arbitration service ACAS.

The chapel had requested for a detailed, fair article covering the conclusion of the dispute, allowing also a comment from an NUJ spokesman. Sadly, in the end this was not permitted.

Job cuts figure is cut

John Greenway, the Conservative MP for Ryedale in North Yorkshire, has written to chapel officers saying he is concerned about the situation facing journalists at The Press and the Gazette & Herald. He said he will be writing to Paul Davidson, chairman and chief executive of Newsquest Media Group, expressing his concerns. He will also be copying his letter to David Coates, Newsquest's regional managing director, and Steve Hughes, Newsquest's man in York. We applaud John for his staunch support for quality local journalism.

The chapel had some positive news this week when management revealed it is now only looking at making five redundancies within the editorial department, rather than the eight originally planned. Editor Kevin Booth also told NUJ members that no compulsory redundancies would be made after nine journalists applied for voluntary redundancy. An announcement on which areas of the newsroom will be hit is expected early next week when the "consultation period" reaches a conclusion.

Making the links

Our dispute with management has certainly brought us closer to other trade unionists in York and beyond. We were buoyed by the support we had during our five-day strike and we have tried to return the favour.

So when we received a call from Communication Workers Union (CWU) reps asking for assistance we were only too happy to help. On Wednesday, one of our NUJ members took part in a CWU media school for postal worker reps at the union's office in Gillygate, York. He discussed the inner workings of a local newspaper and gave advice on how to approach the media, before taking part in a filmed mock interview of a CWU rep.

On the same day one of our number visited the Leeds NUJ Branch to speak about the dispute and what we see as ongoing struggles within the newspaper industry against low pay. Our colleagues in Leeds showed huge solidarity during our strike - donating some £750 in all to our fund - so we were pleased to be able to thank them personally.

Pay deal's signed and sealed

Journalists in York have reached agreement with bosses at Newsquest, bringing a ten-month long dispute to a close. As a result of the deal negotiations on 2009 pay will be brought forward and are expected to begin within weeks. Further talks are also planned to improve the union’s recognition agreement and the company’s pay banding structure.

NUJ members at The Press and the Gazette & Herald newspapers voted to accept a 3 per cent salary increase, but pledged to continue their fight for decent pay. The agreement ends a long-running campaign by the 33-strong NUJ chapel, which staged a five-day strike in May and another day of industrial action last month.

The agreed deal, which will be backdated to January, includes an increase of almost 17 per cent for new trainees and a 13 per cent rise in payments to specialist reporters. It takes the basic rate for senior journalists over £20,000 for the first time and includes increases in meal allowances and extra cash for Bank Holiday working.

Shortly after their second round of action, NUJ members were hit by news of eight redundancies planned in the editorial department. A total of 29 jobs are to go within Newsquest’s York division – about 14 per cent of the workforce.

Joint Father of Chapel Sam Southgate said: “These savage cuts demonstrate just what Newsquest employees are up against. The chapel still feels we deserve an above-inflation pay rise that recognises our hard work and commitment. But we also feel duty bound to secure the best deal possible for those who are forced out. We will resist any compulsory redundancies and we will carry on our battle against low pay. In the coming weeks chapel members will begin drawing up next year’s claim.”

Sam thanked all those who had supported the chapel during the long-running dispute. He said: “We were overwhelmed by the support our campaign received from fellow journalists and trade unionists across the country. From readers, local councillors and MPs the message was loud and clear: the job our members do is highly valued by this community. Our hope is that Newsquest bosses have come to recognise this fact and will begin to invest in their skilled and dedicated team of journalists.”

Joint Father of Chapel Tony Kelly added: “We hope Newsquest management has realised the anger and frustration felt by their staff over low pay, overwork and understaffing. We now look forward to taking part in meaningful discussions that aim seriously to address these ongoing problems.”

Pressing home the message

We learned today that two more of our colleagues are facing redundancy, this time in Newsquest York's advertising department. It takes the tally to 29 from a workforce of about 210; the chapel rightly feels these cuts will be devastating to the long-term future of both The Press and the Gazette & Herald.

We raised the issue at a full meeting of City of York Council on Monday when joint Father of Chapel Sam Southgate went along to speak. He thanked those councillors from all parties who supported NUJ members during our five-day strike in May and spelt out the situation journalists at the company are now facing, before detailing the threat to democracy and the local community posed by cuts and a deterioration in the regional press.

In other news, we have heard from City of York MP Hugh Bayley, who said in a letter to the chapel he is concerned about the situation at Newsquest York following the redundancy plans. He said:

"York would lose a valuable asset if its daily paper closed or if the quality of its coverage declined. The media have an important role as public watchdogs, and the national media do not examine the range of issues covered by regional and local papers. There is an overriding public interest in keeping local papers going."