‘People could earn more money sweeping the floors in a supermarket’

Neil McGrory, a local democracy reporter working for Scottish newspapers and joint head of the NUJ chapel at National World in Scotland, gave London Freelance Branch members at the October meeting an update on the industrial action at the newspaper group.

Photo of National World picket line in Sheffield

National World picket line in Sheffield: "The company actually spent £13m on acquisitions during the entire negotiation process while insisting it had no money for its staff."

Image © NUJ

NUJ members will no doubt be following developments at National World but may not know the full story, so Neil was invited to present a concise history of the journalists' dispute with management.

"Back in February National World made an offer to every single chapel within the company - I think there is about 16 of us in total – and everyone was offered the same deal of four and a half per cent. This was rejected by every chapel with a couple of small exceptions in the south of England. We came back to the same offer again, we rejected it again. On the third time, we passed a no-confidence motion on David Montgomery.

"In June we went to ACAS but we got very little back in the way of improvements on that offer. They stuck to the 4.5% offer and made tiny concessions. So we went on; we had the consultative strike ballot that was overwhelmingly supported. And when last month we had three days out on strike, there were 330 of us striking at nine locations in Scotland, England and Ireland. And the company has still have failed to come to the negotiating table as a result of that.

"So NUJ served notice on the company again to notify them that we are going out for an additional five days of strike, a full week beginning on 23 October. So that's where we are at the moment.

"Obviously, the support that we've received from branches and individuals, MPs… everyone has been very welcoming, including yourselves. And it's greatly appreciated that branches up and down the country have been offering financial support for our strike fund. So one of the main reasons why I'm here today as to thank you all for the support you've shown us and say it's very welcome and much appreciated."

When asked about the prospect of further negotiations, Neil was blunt. "The company's response so far has been to ignore us while buying the Midlands News Association for £11m, despite telling us there was no money to give to its journalists. They actually spent £13m on acquisitions during the entire negotiation process while insisting it had no money for its staff.

"For trainees, salaries start in the region of £23,000. People could actually earn more money sweeping the floors in a supermarket. And a lot of people are actually feeling real financial pressure at the moment and we have members who are already working second jobs as a result."

As a local democracy reporter (LDR), Neil's own salary is ultimately funded by the BBC. That's not to say that he receives the sum that the BBC actually pays to National World. "The value of an LDR contract is approximately £6,000 to £10,000 greater than the salary that's paid. And at National World it's significantly lower than people in the same job are paid if they happen to be hosted at Reach instead, where the minimum senior rate is now around £31,000 pounds, whereas most people at National World work for about £27,000."

Neil paid tribute to the his joint chapel leader, Georgina Morris, who was a "tremendous force in organising us". She has since been handed compulsory redundancy, which comes in addition to the loss of at least another 50 staff through compulsory and voluntary redundancy over the past year. Otherwise, the industrial action is organised at regular meetings with different staff and by communication through social media. The additional five days of strike action beginning on 23 October was announced immediately after one of these meetings.

LFB chair Tim Gopsill said he hoped that Branch members would support them on picket lines. [The five-day strike was postponed just days after Neil spoke to us at the meeting but the dispute continues.] Branch voted unanimously to express its moral support for the National World chapel action. Neil thanked everybody for their solidarity.

Later in the meeting, a motion was passed – again by unanimous vote by those present – to donate £1500 from Branch funds to the NUJ's Hardship Fund, in support of colleagues taking industrial action.