The threat of strike action at Thomson Reuters has been lifted after enough staff applied for voluntary redundancy to avoid compulsory job losses.
The agency, formed earlier this year through the merger of Reuters and Thomson had called for 140 editorial jobs to be scrapped worldwide as part of the process of merging the two companies’ editorial operations. Half of the cuts were to come in Europe.
It is understood that 70 editorial staff in London have taken voluntary redundancy.
The company had originally refused to rule out compulsory job losses, leading NUJ members at the agency to call for an industrial action ballot.
Today’s announcement lifts the threat of a strike.
According to the NUJ, the company has also agreed to share the results of quarterly reviews of staffing levels with the union, a step the union says will allow it to monitor the impact of the merger on editorial standards.
NUJ national organiser Barry Fitzpatrick said: “Months of hard work by the chapel officials has finally removed the threat of compulsory redundancy. We can now concentrate on the real task of working with the new company to achieve editorial excellence.”
Talks between the company and the union are set to continue next week over the fate of staff at several Thomson bureaux in continental Europe. Staff at several of the bureaux have formed NUJ chapels since the merger.
Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog
