Journalists at Johnston Press publishing centres in Sheffield and Scarborough have joined colleagues across the group by balloting in favour of strike action.
Members of the National Union of Journalists at Yorkshire Regional Newspapers and Sheffield Newspapers today voted to join members of the Johnston Press-owned Blackpool Gazette and Herald in industrial action.
Eleven union members of the 14 that took part in the ballot at Yorkshire Regional Newspapers, publishers of the Scarborough Evening News and a string of other titles, voted for strike action.
Twenty-eight union members at Sheffield Newspapers, publisher of the Star and other titles, of the 43 that took part in its ballot voted for strike action.
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Both union chapels also voted in favour of some form of industrial action short of a strike in a dispute with Johnston Press.
The despute centres round plans to introduce a new content management system, called Atex, and Johnston’s failure to rule out compulsory redundancies as it looks to centralise subbing operations in Sheffield.
Journalists at the Johnston Press-owned Blackpool Gazette and Herald are already involved in industrial action and will embark on an indefinite period of work-to-rule from next week.
Union members across Johnston Press are expected to ballot later this month on a possible group-wide strike over the introduction of the Atex system and concerns about low staffing levels.
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