2 July 2024: the dispute has ended, after Nature journalists went on strike for a second day on Monday 24 June. A joint statement by the NUJ and the publisher says they: "are pleased to have reached an agreement which ends our pay dispute through a two-year settlement and would like to pay tribute to the mutual efforts that helped us find a way forward".

Scientists in solidarity with striking Nature journalists

ALMOST 500 academics have signed an open letter Springer Nature in support of staff who are striking for an increased pay offer. Among them are many leading scientists including six Nobel prize winners. (Update: 11 Laureates; 918 signatures in total.)

Members of the International Federation of Journalists Executive Committee joined the Nature picked line on 20 June

Image © Mark Thomas

The letter says:

Springer Nature made over $500m in operating profit in 2022, a 27% margin. They have recently quietly increased their open access article processing fees on Nature journals to $12,290. But they say they can’t afford to pay their staff a fair wage.

Nature’s editors, journalists and production staff have been forced to go on strike after being offered a pay rise far below the cumulative effects of inflation. Negotiations have been ongoing for some 9 months, while their UK staff have additionally sought better all-round workloads, working conditions and fair pay.

The day after the first strike day, which was 20 June, the European Trade Union Confederation also sent support.

Please check #SpringerNatureStrike (also on Twitter) for further strike dates.

Freelances have no right to strike in UK law, but they may find themselves unavailable if offered shifts on days when NUJ members are on strike.

Any NUJ freelance who suffers a loss of income as a result of turning down shifts offered during a strike should contact the NUJ Chapel (workplace-based unit of NUJ organisation) for that media group.

© Mike Holderness

#SpringerNatureStrike nuj.org.uk