The Manchester Evening News has told 13 freelance photographers there is no more work for them on the paper.
An email from associate editor Wayne Ankers told them there would be no shifts available from next week. He later revised this statement, after being told it was the paper’s policy to give one month’s notice to freelances, extending this to the beginning of November.
One freelance photographer is being kept on for court coverage, but otherwise the Trinity Mirror title will be depending on staff photographers.
One of the photographers said: "I know Wayne is probably only the messenger for a decision made higher up in the organisation but to be dropped like this by email is an insult and totally bad manners.
"We are not a bunch of kids fresh out of media college but dedicated and highly professional photographers with many years service who have worked extremely hard to provide the MEN with the best pictures to be found anywhere in regional or national journalism.
“It would have been nice to have been called personally and told of the decision in view of our loyalty to the paper over so many years and not just dumped"
Trinity Mirror declined to comment.
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