Journalists at STV are due out on strike again today (Wednesday May 1) after the latest pay offer put forward by the company was rejected by staff.
The strike coincides with the broadcaster’s annual general meeting, which NUJ representatives, STUC representatives and individual staff will all be attending as shareholders to ask questions of the board.
Nick McGowan-Lowe, NUJ national organiser for Scotland said: “While the company showed willingness to engage with us to find a resolution to this dispute, it is disappointing that once again our journalists are having to head out of the newsrooms and into the shareholder AGM to find out answers to resolve this dispute.
“While the company tells us that a fair rise of 6 per cent to keep pace with inflation is unaffordable, they have no problem with paying shareholders a 7 per cent bonus, or a vastly inflated wage for chief executive Simon Pitts. As shareholders, we will be asking the board why.
“A tiny fraction of Simon Pitt’s bonus would be enough to resolve this dispute for all 90 of the newsroom’s staff – and still leave him paid vastly more than the director general of the BBC – an organisation that is over 45 times larger than STV.”
The first one-day strike in March saw newsroom staff on picket lines in Aberdeen, Dundee and Glasgow, with a separate demonstration at the Scottish Parliament attracting cross-party support for better pay for the striking journalists.
A second scheduled strike day on Wednesday April 16 was postponed after last- minute talks between the NUJ and management.
STV told Prolific North it was “disappointed” by the strike vote, adding in a statement: “This is the most difficult and prolonged advertising downturn that the commercial media sector has faced and STV is not immune from it. In this climate, the offer made to NUJ members is both fair and financially responsible.”
The picket line will be at the STV headquarters, Glasgow, from 8.30am. The AGM starts at 11am.
