by NUJ news release
Today (13 October) is the first day of a week-long strike organised by NUJ members working for Newsquest South London. The strike is in response to devastating cuts proposals – Newsquest has put its entire south London newsroom on notice of redundancy, bar the managing editor and the web editor. The company want to make these job cuts by mid-October. They want 12 reporters and one content editor to produce 11 newspapers and eight associated websites.
The latest cuts announcement came one week after the company announced that no South London newspapers would continue to have professional photographers. It is the second largest local and regional newspaper publisher in the UK, answering to its US parent company Gannett.
Newsquest is driving down standards, terms and conditions at work for journalists. The company is making life a misery for its employees whilst continuing to maximise profits for bosses and shareholders.
Newsquest’s latest company accounts in 2014 show Newsquest made £60 million before tax. Newsquest’s 2015 accounts, audited by Ernst and Young, are now overdue.
In South London, Newsquest owns newspapers and websites including the Croydon, Epsom, Sutton, Wandsworth and Wimbledon Guardians, the Richmond & Twickenham Times, the Surrey Comet and the News Shopper in Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich and Lewisham.
The strike continues until Wednesday 19 October.
Support the strike – what you can do to help:
To donate to the strike hardship fund and send a message of support contact campaigns@nuj.org.uk
Visit the picket line outside Quadrant House in Sutton (near Sutton railway station) from 9am today.
To confirm days and times to attend, email: publishing@nuj.org.uk
Email Newsquest boss, Henry Faure Walker, and tell him to reverse the cuts h.faurewalker@newsquest.co.uk
Spread the message of support – share news of the strike on social media including tweets to @NUJofficial #NQstrike
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