Eight editorial jobs are being axed at two Newsquest newspapers in York, the NUJ has said.
The jobs will be cut at the York Press and the weekly Gazette and Herald and a vacant reporter’s post on the York Press is not being filled.
The news came just as journalists and management at York Press agreed to talks in a dispute over pay.
Journalists had defied a ban to hold a chapel meeting during work time last Thursday and were planning eight days of 8 am meetings to discuss future action over a pay offer of three per cent.
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After the meeting, which lasted until 3.30pm, NUJ members staged a mass walk-in to work. Journalists on the day shift were sent home without pay.
Staff later agreed to an offer from managing editor Steve Hughes to talks with the mediator, ACAS.
On Tuesday morning, however, Steve Hughes, Newsquest managing editor, told staff eight jobs were to be cut at Newsquest York.
Father of the chapel Sam Southgate said that with an editorial staff of 58 the cuts would affect the quality of the newspapers. ‘We continue to talk over pay but we will do everything we can to oppose these job cuts,’he said. ‘Coming off the back of the company’s refusal to give us a pay rise I’m sure there will be great anger.”
Last month NUJ members at the York Press and associated titles held a five-day strike over pay.
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