By Hamish Mackay
Seven journalists on Scotsman Publications have lost their jobs through compulsory redundancy.
Leaving The Scotsman are writer Jim McBeth, of the Glasgow office,
diarist Simon Pia, columnist and restaurant critic Gillian Glover,
Edinburgh-based reporter Ed Black and London-based reporter Karen
McVeigh.
A month ago, Pia was elected FoC of The Scotsman’s NUJ chapel.
Sub-editor Peter Evans and photographer Jon Savage are leaving The Scotsman’s stablemate, Scotland on Sunday.
Paul Holleran, Scottish organiser of the NUJ, said he was “shocked and angry”.
He claimed he was told last week by Scotsman Publications that there would be no compulsory redundancies.
A
Scotsman insider said: “Everybody here is pretty shell-shocked at what
has happened. Although there have been rumours for some time of the
possibility of one or two voluntary severance packages, no one thought
for a minute that compulsory redundancies were on the cards.”
It is understood that all those who have lost their jobs have been offered a package of six months’ pay.
The company said:” Due to adverse trading conditions affecting all media organisations, and a requirement to invest further in plant and machinery, The Scotsman Publications Ltd has reluctantly begun discussions with a small number of editorial staff with a view to offering enhanced severance terms.”
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