NUJ members at Sheffield Newspapers are set to strike again next week following industrial action yesterday.
Journalists at the Johnston Press newspapers, which includes the Sheffield Star, left the newsroom yesterday for four hours to attend a NUJ chapel meeting and have said they will do the same again on 17 September.
During the meeting journalists discussed changes at the paper – management plans to make five compulsory redundancies, including the district reporters for Barnsley and Rotherham, and an unspecified number of voluntary redundancies.
Prior to yesterday’s action the chapel sent a list of 15 questions to the management of Sheffield Newspapers asking how they planned to maintain the quality of the newspapers and protect employees’ health and safety following the proposed cuts.
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NUJ assistant organiser Jenny Lennox said that plans for the next meeting are dependent on whether management appear to be taking seriously the concerns of the union.
‘The unanimity of our members was clear at today’s meeting,” she said. “They want to work with management to secure the future of a paper that is currently highly regarded by the local community. They want to see how management plans to maintain quality journalism at the paper and they’re looking for evidence that shows bosses are taking their duty of care to employees seriously.”
Johnson Press employs more than 75 journalists at Sheffield Newspapers, which titles also include the Sheffield Telegraph, Star Lite, The Journal Series, the Green ‘Un and the Angling Star.
Johnson Press said production of the newspapers would not be affected by the planned action.
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