Strike call as Telegraph jobs cull takes NUJ rep
THE FATHER of the NUJ Chapel at the Telegraph group in London has been made redundant and the union believes he was targeted because of his activities.
John Carey was deputy property editor. Managers deny he was victimised and kept him on for a month to tie up his union duties. They point to the downturn in property coverage and advertising but they failed to offer alternative posts to a journalist who had worked on various desks there for 21 years.
Now the union is preparing a ballot on strike action over the latest job cuts and the company’s refusal to negotiate over sweeping changes to shift patterns and other changes to journalists’ terms and conditions.
Journalists began voting on the strike at the end of August. They are furious that management is forcing through changes without talks with the union.
The Telegraph is creating 40 new jobs but laying off casuals who have been working full-time without staff employment rights – and it is not offering them permanent jobs either.
More than 30 of the 80 casuals to go have been working four- or five-day weeks every week, but are classified as freelance by the company.
Journalists are also angry at changes to night-shift patterns that would see journalists working an extra shift every fortnight and at the creation of a two-tier workforce by cutting the holiday entitlement of new starters by a week.
National Newspapers Organiser Barry Fitzpatrick, said: “Bosses at the Telegraph are treating their staff with a shocking level of contempt.
“This disregard for our members’ loyalty and hard work seems to be a culture that has dominated the newsroom since the Barclay brothers bought the papers.”
JOHN CAREY was father of the Telegraph for four difficult years. The union has negotiated a severance package for him, which is confidential. He said on his enforced departure:
I cannot comment on the decision to make me redundant — except to say ‘thank you’ to the many people in the union who have helped me. All too often the work done by the NUJ in these situations goes unrecorded and neither the union nor individuals get the credit they deserve.
Nor is sufficient importance given to the service of solidarity, comradeship, togetherness, simple friendship — call it what you will — that being a member of a union gives you when you most need it.