Telegraph: staff are taking action over compulsory redundancies and extra duties Telegraph staff have voted to hold a three-day strike.
Tara ConlanWednesday November 1, 2006MediaGuardian.co.uk
http://media.guardian.co.uk/telegraph/story/0,,1936775,00.html
In a ballot at a chapel meeting today, more than 90 union members voted in favour of the action, with just 12 against.
The strike will begin on November 14.
It follows last week's ballot in which 76% of members voted in favour of industrial action. Today the National Union of Journalists chapel decided what form that action would take.
The announcement of the impending strike coincides with the renaming of the Telegraph Group today. It will now be known as Telegraph Media Group.
John Carey, the Telegraph father of chapel, said the company's refusal to negotiate on the changes it was trying to impose left the union with no alternative but to take action.
"What the Telegraph is undertaking represents the biggest revolution in national newspapers for 20 years - and we are the people who are expected to carry it forward. We think we are entitled to some say in how the changes are implemented and to some reward for making it work," Mr Carey said.
"We have said repeatedly that we are not against what the company is trying to achieve. But we are not prepared to simply be told: 'This is what we want you to do - now just get on with it.'"
The Telegraph chapel voted last week to strike after 54 journalists were made redundant as part of 133 redundancies the group announced before the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph moved to new multimedia premises in Victoria.
Telegraph management's formal response to staff concerns was only given to the chapel committee one hour before the chapel meeting this afternoon.
A lack of consultation over changes to terms and conditions lay at the heart of the strike vote.
"They should have seen this coming months ago and done something to reassure staff rather than high-handedly pushing on with painful and unpopular changes," the NUJ general secretary, Jeremy
Dear, said last week.
"Members of the NUJ chapel repeatedly asked to be properly consulted and repeatedly managers ignored them and went over their heads."
Last week's union ballot found 76% of NUJ members who voted had said yes to possible strike action. But of 276 NUJ members, 114 voted in the ballot, of whom 85 said yes to a possible strike.
Last week a Telegraph spokeswoman said in response to the ballot: "Our move has now been successfully completed, and 465 full-time journalists are now working in one of the most modern newsrooms anywhere in the world. There were 54 job losses in this area as a result of the integration of our business. However, those affected left on generous terms - and there was only one appeal against a decision."
In 2005, after a round of 90 editorial redundancies, the Telegraph Group chapel voted in favour of strike action but elected not to strike after management offered concessions.
A spokesman for the Telegraph Media Group said today: "At this time of massive investment in the future of the Telegraph Media Group and the extensive changes occurring throughout our industry, the union's decision is surprising.
"It is worth noting that barely one in three of the union members voted in favour of a strike and that less than one in five of our total editorial staff are supporting the union's actions.
"We have successfully completed our move to Victoria and are ready to meet the significant challenges that our industry faces in the new digital age.
"Today's vote by some NUJ members is therefore disappointing."
Tara ConlanWednesday November 1, 2006MediaGuardian.co.uk
http://media.guardian.co.uk/telegraph/story/0,,1936775,00.html
In a ballot at a chapel meeting today, more than 90 union members voted in favour of the action, with just 12 against.
The strike will begin on November 14.
It follows last week's ballot in which 76% of members voted in favour of industrial action. Today the National Union of Journalists chapel decided what form that action would take.
The announcement of the impending strike coincides with the renaming of the Telegraph Group today. It will now be known as Telegraph Media Group.
John Carey, the Telegraph father of chapel, said the company's refusal to negotiate on the changes it was trying to impose left the union with no alternative but to take action.
"What the Telegraph is undertaking represents the biggest revolution in national newspapers for 20 years - and we are the people who are expected to carry it forward. We think we are entitled to some say in how the changes are implemented and to some reward for making it work," Mr Carey said.
"We have said repeatedly that we are not against what the company is trying to achieve. But we are not prepared to simply be told: 'This is what we want you to do - now just get on with it.'"
The Telegraph chapel voted last week to strike after 54 journalists were made redundant as part of 133 redundancies the group announced before the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph moved to new multimedia premises in Victoria.
Telegraph management's formal response to staff concerns was only given to the chapel committee one hour before the chapel meeting this afternoon.
A lack of consultation over changes to terms and conditions lay at the heart of the strike vote.
"They should have seen this coming months ago and done something to reassure staff rather than high-handedly pushing on with painful and unpopular changes," the NUJ general secretary, Jeremy
Dear, said last week.
"Members of the NUJ chapel repeatedly asked to be properly consulted and repeatedly managers ignored them and went over their heads."
Last week's union ballot found 76% of NUJ members who voted had said yes to possible strike action. But of 276 NUJ members, 114 voted in the ballot, of whom 85 said yes to a possible strike.
Last week a Telegraph spokeswoman said in response to the ballot: "Our move has now been successfully completed, and 465 full-time journalists are now working in one of the most modern newsrooms anywhere in the world. There were 54 job losses in this area as a result of the integration of our business. However, those affected left on generous terms - and there was only one appeal against a decision."
In 2005, after a round of 90 editorial redundancies, the Telegraph Group chapel voted in favour of strike action but elected not to strike after management offered concessions.
A spokesman for the Telegraph Media Group said today: "At this time of massive investment in the future of the Telegraph Media Group and the extensive changes occurring throughout our industry, the union's decision is surprising.
"It is worth noting that barely one in three of the union members voted in favour of a strike and that less than one in five of our total editorial staff are supporting the union's actions.
"We have successfully completed our move to Victoria and are ready to meet the significant challenges that our industry faces in the new digital age.
"Today's vote by some NUJ members is therefore disappointing."
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