Worksop Guardian journalists to ballot on industrial action

Journalists at the Worksop Guardian are to ballot on possible industrial action after passing a motion of no confidence in their bosses.

Members of the National Union of Journalists at the Nottinghamshire weekly say non-replacement of staff and having the addedl responsibility for a second newspaper title have led to stress in the newsroom and unreasonable demands being placed on them.

According to the union, in the past 18 months the Johnston Press paper has lost a sports editor, news editor, two full-time reporters and one part-time reporter.

The remaining journalists have been expected to also work on the Gainsborough Standard, the union claims, in addition to taking on extra multimedia work.

Lawrence Shaw, NUJ assistant organiser, said the local NUJ chapel had not received a “satisfactory response” to a request to local management for information.

The union said it had therefore informed management about the decision to ballot for industrial action.

Shaw said: “Other nearby Johnston Press centres have recently advertised for extra reporting cover and there are numerous vacancies advertised by the company.

“Yet the Worksop chapel are continually told that there is a recruitment freeze and there are no resources available to replace staff.

“The journalists in Worksop have been completely disregarded in consultation over plans for a centralised subbing unit, and there has been no consideration of the knock-on effects this has had on staff morale, workloads or health.”

Then Worksop Guardian has a paid-for weekly circulation of 15,828.

Topics in this article : Johnston Press