‘We win them prizes, they make the profits’
A TEAM from the NUJ went to protest outside the Press Gazette’s Regional Press Awards ceremony in London in June, not at the awards but at the way regional press groups treat the journalists who win them.
Union members worked hard to produce top-class award-winning work, but were overworked, overstressed and underpaid, executives and staff were told as they trooped into the Royal Lancaster Hotel.
The ceremony took place as the dispute at the York Press was still under way. The paper was shortlisted for the “Scoop of the Year” award but the reporter who had written the story concerned was not allowed to attend the event. The same went for potential winners elsewhere in the Newsquest group.
Manchester-based NUJ assistant organiser Jenny Lennox, who organised the protest, said: “It is shameful that Newsquest managers are in London sipping champagne while their staff are struggling on low pay. To not even reward the journalists who earned them the nomination shows the contempt they have for their staff.
“The papers should recognise their award-winning staff and give them award-winning pay deals.”