Reach has put 13 staff at risk of redundancy at the Daily Express and its national magazine titles, among them Express royal correspondent Richard Palmer.
Press Gazette understands the company intends to make two full-time equivalent roles redundant on the magazines and three on the Express.
Eight magazine staff have been placed at risk along with five Express staff.
Palmer, who is the chair of the NUJ chapel at the Express, has been the newspaper’s royal correspondent since December 2003.
The Reach Group NUJ Chapel wrote in an email to members, seen by Press Gazette, that “we once again have NUJ members at risk in a targeted compulsory redundancy process…
“I know members will be deeply angry to hear this given the immense commitment of time and energy Richard has given to representing and supporting members going through similar earlier processes and his key role in the union’s group chapel structures.”
As well as the Daily Express, Daily Mirror and Daily Star national newspapers, Reach publishes the magazines OK! and New and numerous regional newspapers and websites across the UK and Ireland.
In 2022, the latest ABC data available, OK! magazine recorded a 12% year-on-year print circulation decline, falling to an average total circulation per issue of 68,247. New declined 22% to 58,588.
In August the Daily Express had a print circulation of 162,948, down 14% year-on-year, while the Sunday Express was on 142,314, down 15%. The Express was the twelfth biggest news website in the UK in July, reaching 12.3 million – down 28% compared to a year earlier.
In January Reach announced plans to make 200 redundancies, which it followed in March with an announcement of another 192 editorial cuts. The company cited rising costs, decreasing consumer spend, inflation and an “online attention recession” as factors influencing those decisions.
Last month the Reach Group NUJ Chapel told its members it had “reluctantly” accepted the company’s offer of a 4% pay rise for those earning £60,000 and below and a £1,000 increase for those earning more, saying the deal “devalued” staff.
Press Gazette has approached Reach for comment.
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