Journalists at the Birmingham Post and Mail newspapers are to once again vote on possible strike action of plans by Trinity Mirror to make further cuts.
The National Union of Journalists fears that Trinity Mirror is planning to cut a number of subeditors at the end of the month, creating unmanageable workloads for remaining staff.
Ballot papers were sent to NUJ members last week, the third time that they have been asked to vote on possible strike action in little over a year.
The previous two ballots have focused on Trinity Mirror’s plans to make compulsory redundancies at its BPM Media division in Birmingham – neither vote led to strike action as no compulsory redundancies resulted and the union and the company were able to resume talks.
Despite switching the Post from a daily paper to a weekly and moving the Mail to overnight production, staff some workloads have increased, the union claimed, and reducing their number would be detrimental.
Chris Morley, NUJ Northern organiser, said: “Once again Trinity Mirror management are forcing our members to resort to an industrial action ballot to make the company listen to their concerns.
“Left unresolved, these problems can affect people’s longer term health and well-being, as well as family relationships.
“They also damage productivity at work and are bad for business. That is why the chapel is once again asking its members to stand united to help prevent further harm to journalism at Trinity Mirror Midlands – and to NUJ members.”
Trinity Mirror declined to comment.
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