Journalists at The Scotsman are expected escape compulsory redundancy as owner Johnston Press introduces the controversial Atex content management system to the paper.
According to All Media Scotland, up to 12 production posts are expected to be cut with the adoption of Atex but it is unlikely that any members of staff will be forced out as a number of people have come forward for voluntary redundancy.
Johnston Press’s determination to introduce the new content management system across its portfolio of daily and weekly newspapers has proved hugely divisive.
Many have blamed the new system for production errors that have occurred across the groups papers. (See here and here).
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Journalists across Johnston Press, which is the UK’s second largest regional newspaper publisher, were due to hold a group-wide strike on 19 May.
But the one-day stoppage was called off after a legal challenge from Johnston Press head office which argued that it does not employ any journalists, saying instead that they were employed by autonomous local companies.
The NUJ balloted some 550 journalists across 50 Johnston Press chapels and 70 per cent of the 60 per cent who voted said yes to industrial action.
Chapel officials are due to meet in Leeds on 19 June to discuss holding a series of individual strike ballots at the various Johnston Press centres.
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