Priestgate Image: Freefoto.com
Next Tuesday has been set as the date when journalists in the North East and Yorkshire will be going on strike in protest at the production of their newspapers being transferred to Wales.
The staff at Newsquest-owned titles including the flagship Northern Echo and weekly Darlington and Stockton Times in Darlington, The York Press and the Bradford Telegraph will take action for 24 hours.
The National Union of Journalists says it has called for talks with the management at the conciliation service ACAS and is urging supporters to take to social media and send messages of solidarity to hashtag #NQstrike.
Northern & Midlands Organiser, Chris Morley, said in a statement on the website: “By now I suspect Newsquest realises the level of hostility and ill-feeling its reckless plans to export local journalism production to another country is generating.The management has a very limited window to avoid a hugely damaging united action by our three affected chapels on the same day.”
NUJ members voted by 80 per cent for strike action in Bradford, by 83 per cent in York and by 75 per cent in Darlington. The union claims more than 20 jobs are at risk in total across the three northern sites and has requested that Henry Faure Walker, who takes up the post of chief executive on 1 April, institutes a moratorium on the plans.
NUJ general secretary, Michelle Stanistreet, said the management must take note. “Newsquest, an American-owned company, clearly has no loyalty to its readers or staff. Local papers should be produced in the heart of the communities they serve, not more than 200 miles away in another country.”
