NEWSQUEST REPORT
Around 90 per cent of the work carried out in the NUJ Scottish office over the last few months has been in relation to the Newsquest dispute. A concerted effort by the staff and one or two volunteers all working with the F/MoCs paid dividends and led to a major victory, achieved through a planned and controlled strategic approach.
After a series of one and two day strikes and a continuous work to rule, management accepted the union position and returned to the negotiating table. The issue is about jobs and about the ability of the journalists to produce quality titles with less staff and resources. Part of that battle is tied into recognition of the union's role.
It is ironic that during the dispute management announced de-recognition, bizarrely they claimed it was mutual de-recognition. The industrial action was backed up with a high profile public and political campaign involving cross-party support and a public petition on paper and online. Both of which had a major impact, embarrassing the company with details of their record-making profits while trying to impose more cuts.
A clever health and safety campaign supplemented our arguments over disinvestment and taking staff efforts and working conditions for granted. We involved the local environmental health officers as well as national HSE officers who have been asked by the government to deal with the stress problem in the UK.
Employment lawyers at Thompsons were also very supportive in building up legal threats, including two threatened interim interdicts. This included an embarrassing climb-down by the Evening Times editor Donald Martin who suspended an FoC for being late back from a union meeting.
The strikes were solid with around three to six senior executives in each of the three papers coming together with English based Newsquest sub-editors to produce strike-breaking pathetic versions of the papers. It is believed the MD even joined in the proof reading to get the Sunday Herald out.
Most freelances joined the strike withholding copy, columns and images which cost the company dear to replace. The work to rule turned out to be our biggest weapon, with the withdrawal of good will hitting production particularly hard as people took breaks, lunches and went home on time.
We are now back involved in negotiations and trying to get improved redundancy terms on the table as more jobs are in the firing line as a new editorial system is planned for later this year. We are now operating in a different environment as management recognise our strength and are responding in a more constructive way in the lead up to technological change.
After a series of one and two day strikes and a continuous work to rule, management accepted the union position and returned to the negotiating table. The issue is about jobs and about the ability of the journalists to produce quality titles with less staff and resources. Part of that battle is tied into recognition of the union's role.
It is ironic that during the dispute management announced de-recognition, bizarrely they claimed it was mutual de-recognition. The industrial action was backed up with a high profile public and political campaign involving cross-party support and a public petition on paper and online. Both of which had a major impact, embarrassing the company with details of their record-making profits while trying to impose more cuts.
A clever health and safety campaign supplemented our arguments over disinvestment and taking staff efforts and working conditions for granted. We involved the local environmental health officers as well as national HSE officers who have been asked by the government to deal with the stress problem in the UK.
Employment lawyers at Thompsons were also very supportive in building up legal threats, including two threatened interim interdicts. This included an embarrassing climb-down by the Evening Times editor Donald Martin who suspended an FoC for being late back from a union meeting.
The strikes were solid with around three to six senior executives in each of the three papers coming together with English based Newsquest sub-editors to produce strike-breaking pathetic versions of the papers. It is believed the MD even joined in the proof reading to get the Sunday Herald out.
Most freelances joined the strike withholding copy, columns and images which cost the company dear to replace. The work to rule turned out to be our biggest weapon, with the withdrawal of good will hitting production particularly hard as people took breaks, lunches and went home on time.
We are now back involved in negotiations and trying to get improved redundancy terms on the table as more jobs are in the firing line as a new editorial system is planned for later this year. We are now operating in a different environment as management recognise our strength and are responding in a more constructive way in the lead up to technological change.
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