By Des Cryan in Dublin
The Sunday Tribune in Ireland has pleaded inability to pay its staff
a seven per cent increase recommended by the Labour Court arbitration
service.
The newspaper’s managing director Michael Roche claimed paying the wage increase would seriously push up costs at the paper.
Seamus Dooley, Irish secretary of the NUJ, said the decision was “very disappointing”.
The
Tribune has just recorded losses of €7m (£4.7m) for the 18 months to
December 2004. Chairman Gordon Colleary blamed the abundance of free
CDs and other promotions for the disappointing results. The paper is
carrying accumulated losses of €37.2m.
The accounts show that
Independent News and Media, a 29.9 per cent shareholder, advanced the
Tribune approximately €5.8m in loans during the period under review.
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