Strike action is set to take place at the Sheffield Star after NUJ members voted in favour of a mandatory chapel meeting next Wednesday to be held during working hours.
The meeting will start at 7.45am and continue until all union business has been concluded. Union members voted 68 per cent in favour of industrial action in a vote one week ago.
The paper’s management plans to make five compulsory redundancies, including the district reporters for Barnsley and Rotherham, and a unspecified number of voluntary redundancies.
The chapel has sent a list of 15 questions to the management of Sheffield Newspapers, the Star’s parent company and a subsidiary of Johnston Press.
The union said in a statement today: ‘NUJ members hope that coherent and concise answers to their questions will enable them to speed up the discussion at the meeting and return to work as quickly as possible.
‘The questions include queries regarding how many redundancies the company intends to make and a request for confirmation about plans for the future of the company’s titles.’
The union said it was concerned for the health and safety of the remaining staff and has asked the company to carry out and heath and risk assessment.
NUJ Assistant Organiser Jenny Lennox said: ‘NUJ members at Sheffield Newspapers are deeply concerned for their colleagues who are facing redundancy, as well as the future workloads of staff who will continue to work for the papers.
‘They want clear answers from management about exactly what cuts the company has planned and reassurances that they are considering the wellbeing of their staff.
‘Members are waiting with interest to see whether managers are willing to answer their questions.”
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