by Richie Venton
‘Sign or be sacked’ is the dictatorial motto of many employers right now, as they issue workers an ultimatum to accept slashed wages and conditions or be sacked. That’s the approach of B&Q bosses recently as they hacked thousands of pounds off many workers wages to compensate for the miserly 50p premium on the minimum wage for the over-25s.
Now Newsquest, owners of a string of 29 Scottish newspapers – including the Greenock Telegraph, Dunfermline Press, Alloa Advertiser, Dumbarton Reporter, Carrick Herald – have applied the same dictatorial methods. They’ve demanded staff sign up to new contracts that include loss of a day’s annual holiday; longer contractual hours of work from 35 to 37.5 hours a week, with no increase in pay; reduced pension contributions, and sick pay slashed by up to half.
By an arbitrary deadline of 13th April, or lose their jobs!
Last month the journalists’ union, NUJ, did a comprehensive survey that found horrendous levels of stress and overwork is rampant, with workers at their wits’ end from additional demands, staff cuts and a feeling of being totally undervalued – by an employer who could fork out £15.2million to seize ownership of the 19 Clyde and Forth Press titles last May 2015.
Newsquest is the British arm of publishing giant Gannett – one of the biggest US media corporations, whose habits include swooping from a great height and devouring smaller companies, to eliminate competition, followed by job losses and closures; Gannett by name, capitalist gannet by nature!
Just days before holding this rocket launcher to the heads of stressed-out, overworked, underpaid staff, Newsquest’s chief executive Henry Faure Walker was handing out awards for excellence at the Greenock Telegraph. The awards recognised “successfully illustrating that you can achieve great digital audience growth and strong copy sales”. He didn’t mention – for a couple of days – the real rewards awaiting these workers!
The NUJ is demanding Newsquest withdraw this outrageous ultimatum.
Dominic Bascombe, NUJ assistant organiser in Scotland, said: “This is a classic case of Newsquest trying to impose their low level terms and conditions on staff despite the fact the company has directly benefitted from the hard work and goodwill of our members.
“Newsquest saw the Clyde and Forth Press titles as a bargain to buy because the staff there have maintained the quality of their titles under very difficult circumstances and tough working conditions.
“Newsquest need to pay decent and fair wages and they should commit to sensible terms and conditions rather than drive down standards.”
[x_pullquote type=”right”]“As a team, we work in a climate of uncertainty and fear of the future.”[/x_pullquote]The SSP pledges unqualified support to the NUJ and its members in any action they deem necessary to halt this profit-driven assault. These brute dictators won’t listen to reason; united action that challenges their predatory treatment of staff is the only language they’ll listen to.Quotes from a Health & Safety Executive toolkit survey, March 2016:
“The new terms of contract means that over a year, the company gains an extra 130 hours off us FOR FREE, when it doesn’t even pay us for the extended hours we already do at the moment just to keep the paper going.”
“As a team, we work in a climate of uncertainty and fear of the future.”
“I sometimes find it very difficult to cope and on a couple of occasions I’ve broken down in tears in the toilet or in the car between jobs. Some days are better than others but it’s hard to feel motivated when I’m putting so much effort in for a company that doesn’t seem to care.”
“I am very stressed, filled with anxiety but I am too frightened to bring it up with my line manager. I feel it would be awkward but it is the truth. The workload gives me anxiety that affects me in work and in my free time. My workload and responsibility is too high following staff cuts, and high turnover.”
Main photo: CC BY 2.0 by Jon S