Journalists on the Mirror titles have voted to reballot for industrial action after Trinity Mirror management threatened to legally challenge a previous vote.
The decision to hold a new ballot was held at a meeting of the British Association of Journalists union chapel yesterday where journalists vowed to continue to resist plans to cut 140 staff journalists, and 60 regular casuals, from the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and People titles.
Press Gazette understands that so far 49 journalists have volunteered for redundancy, and that of these – ten exits have been agreed by management.
The company is now set to circulate the selection criteria by which journalists are singled out for compulsory redundancy.
Related
A number of compromises suggested by BAJ negotiators in meetings with management have so far not been taken up.
Theses include: Confining redundancies to volunteers; extending the period for volunteers to come forward indefinitely; improving redundancy terms from two weeks to four weeks’ salary for every year of service to encourage volunteers and reducing the number of subs and designers on the three titles without having outsourcing.
The BAJ told members in a recent bulletin: ‘MGN’s unwillingness to accept any of these suggestions hardly squares with the legal requirement for the parties to carry out conciliatory consultations with a view to reaching agreement on avoiding redundancies or reducing redundancies or mitigating the consequences.”
Content from our partners
A Trinity Mirror spokesman, said: “Obviously we are disappointed with the BAJ’s actions however we will continue to consult with the union’s representatives as these changes, although difficult, are absolutely necessary if we are to safeguard the future of our great national newspapers in a multimedia world.”
Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog
