Newsquest is proposing to make up to six journalists redundant at the Brighton Argus, according to a local news website set up by the paper’s former deputy editor Frank le Duc.
A report on the Brighton and Hove News said those at risk of redundancy have been invited to a staff meeting this afternoon to discuss their future.
An anonymous of member of staff told the site: ‘This is the fifth year running Newsquest has handed out redundancies to members of staff at this time of year – always just before Christmas.
‘The handful who are left in Hollingbury go beyond the call of duty every day to produce a paper but, like the Grinch, the bosses just seem to take, take, take.
‘It’s a bitter blow not just for the individuals involved but to the whole city.
‘The people of Brighton and Hove deserve a local paper made in the city and staffed by local people.”
Le Duc was himself made redundant on New Year’s Eve 2009, before joining Northcliffe as editor-in-chief of Northcliffe’s weekly papers in Sussex and East Surrey
NUJ members are expected to hold a meeting to discuss the redundancies this evening.
A spokesperson for the NUJ said: “The NUJ are aware of six people in editorial that have been given redundancy letters. We understand this involves the features team and 11 sales workers have also been put at risk.
“The NUJ chapel hasn’t yet met, but at the moment we feel that further job losses at the Argus, on the back of last year’s decision to move the subs to Southampton further damages the identity of the paper.”
In January 2011 they went on strike in protest at six sub-editors losing theirs job and a continuing two-and-a-half year pay freeze.
Newsquest chief executive Paul Davidson was today unavailable for comment
The latest ABC figures show circulation of the Argus was down 5.4 per cent to 24,949 in the first six months of the year.
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