Action in York, talks in Leeds

NUJ members at Newsquest in York, which published the daily Press and related weeklies were taking industrial action today over management plans to axe four journalists jobs.
The cuts are on top of redundancies made last year by the company.
The union says journalists from the company have been in a meeting to discuss the situation since noon - and plan to stay there until the end of working hours today.
Meanwhile NUJ reps were due to meet management at Johnston Press in Leeds to discuss proposals aimed at ending the dispute at Yorkshire Post Newspapers, where journalists were on strike for four days until Monday over compulsory job cuts. Another four day strike is planned if no agreement is reached.

Four more jobs to go at Newsquest York

The NUJ says it was told this afternoon that four more jobs are to go at the Newsquest-owned daily The Press in York.
According to the union, Newsquest management announced the cuts in a staff meeting at 2.45pm today.
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 York chapel has already given notice of industrial action on every weekday between now and March 30.

Union in Newsquest talks on York cuts fears

Newsquest management in York, where the company publishes the Press and related weeklies, have agreed to talks, after journalists at the company held their second lunchtime work stoppage in two days over possible cutbacks, the NUJ said today.
The chapel had given management notice of their intention to hold a noon meeting every day - Monday to Friday - for the next three weeks.
But the union said the chapel meetings nave been suspended until talks take place on Monday 9 February. Today's meeting lasted 50 minutes.
Newsquest has made their York centre’s managing director Steve Hughes, weekly editor Chris Buxton, and daily editor Kevin Booth redundant and invited them to apply for the new post of managing editor. It is expected that Steve Hughes will be confirmed in the new post.
Tony Kelly, NUJ FoC Newsquest York, said: “We are sure that once the consultation period ends for the management redundancies the company will come after more journalists' jobs.
“We want to put forward alternative ideas for the reorganisation.”

NUJ executive backs Newsquest York buy-out

The NUJ's national executive has said the union will explore ways of ending Newsquest's ownership of newspapers in York.
The move follows a call by the NUJ chapel at the Press and Gazette and Herald for the union to look at ways the newspapers could be bought-out from Newsquest.
Union members also hope that local business figures may come forward to finance a buy-out that would return the papers and websites to Yorkshire ownership.
Journalists on the papers have suffered redundancies and a wage freeze. Adam Christie, NUJ National Executive Council member for the North East of England, said: "The experience of journalists in York is an example of what is happening around the country as media companies try to maintain profit levels several times greater than major supermarket chains at the cost of local news and the cultural and democratic health of our villages, towns and cities."

Newsquest York staff look at Press buy-out

Press Gazette is today running a story that journalists at The Press in York are looking at ways the paper could be bought from Newsquest.
It also reports that Press editor Kevin Booth and Chris Buxton, editor of the weekly Gazette and Herald have left the company and managing director Steve Hughes has been appointed "acting" managing editor. All three were made redundant and asked to apply for the one managing editor job.
Press Gazette says The Press NUJ chapel has asked the union's national executive to obtain a market valuation of Newsquest York Limited, and gauge the level of interest from the local business community in a buy-out.

Press hall to close in York as Newsquest switches printing to Bradford and Trinity

Newsquest announced today that the print hall at The Press in York is to close with the loss of 22 jobs, according to the NUJ. From next month production of the daily Press and weekly sister paper, the Gazette and Herald, will be switched to Newsquest's Telegraph & Argus while another Newsquest title, the Northern Echo, which is also printed at York, will be shifted to a Trinity Mirror printing operation in Teesside, the union says.
NUJ Father of Chapel Tony Kelly said: "It is scandalous that our print-room colleagues are being treated so disgracefully. Talk about Merry Christmas. And it is also outrageous that such a long-standing tradition of a thriving newspaper being printed in York, one of England's greatest cities, will soon be at an end.
"The management have cited 'challenging trading conditions' and 'steps to improve the efficiency' of the business, but we understand Newsquest York will turn in a profit of £1million this year following on from the 2007 profit of £4.3million."
According to the NUJ, The Press and its forerunners, the Yorkshire Evening Press and the York Herald have been printed in York since 1790.

Vote on pay and cuts at Newsquest York

NUJ journalists at Newsquest York are balloting for industrial action over a pay freeze and job cuts. Union members on The Press and associated titles have decided to hold two simultaneous ballots. The results will be known on January 5.
The union claims the company has withdrawn a negotiated pay agreement of 3 per cent for 2009 and will not give assurances that there will be no compulsory redundancies. NUJ northern regional organiser Chris Morley said: “The union members at York want to have clear mandates to take action over pay or job cuts...And in view if what is happening elsewhere in Newsquest (the company has announced redundancies across the group) they want to put a marker down that they will not stand back and allow anyone to be shown the door against their will.”