Regional publisher Newsquest has told staff working on its papers in London that it would accept requests for voluntary redundancy.
Roger Mills, managing director for Newsquest London, briefed staff yesterday that due to worsening trading conditions the company had opened a redundancy programme.
Employees have been given a relatively short window to register their interest as requests have to be with Newsquest London’s HR department by close of business on Monday.
The company announcement issued by Mills did not detail the terms being offered by Newsquest for those wishing to take up its offer of voluntary redundancy nor specify how many volunteers the company is seeking.
The opening of the voluntary redundancy programme has raised fears amongst staff about the long term future of a number of Newsquest’s titles in the capital.
A number of Newsquest weekly papers in South and West London have undergone pagination cuts in recent weeks with key editorial pages in some titles reduced by half.
Pagination has been reduced across Newsquest’s Guardian series of papers, the Surrey Comet and the Richmond & Twickenham Times in recent weeks.
Newsquest London declined to comment.
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