Just when you thought that things could not get any worse working in newspapers, all the staff at the Herald group of newspapers in Glasgow – The Herald, Evening Times and Sunday Herald – have been made redundant and told to re-apply for their jobs.
The move affects nearly 30 staff journalists on the sports desks of the three titles alone, and follows two years of aggressive cut-backs on staff at the titles.
The move – announced this afternoon on the first day of new editor-in-chief Donald Martin’s tenure – involves 250 staff in total. It is being reported there are about 210 posts they can go for.
Paul Holleran, Scottish Organiser of the NUJ, is quoted on the BBC website, describing the move as a “brutal attempt at forcing changes”, referring to moves to merge the production of all three titles into one entity.
“No-one in the workforce will be surprised that this is the first action of the new editor-in-chief Donald Martin. To say he’s getting off on the wrong foot is the understatement of the year.”
Yesterday had been meant to be day one of a work-to-rule by NUJ members protesting at cost-cutting – said to be £2million-worth. But it was suspended pending negotiations.
Only half a dozen people escaped the cull, including Martin himself. Richard Walker stays as Sunday Herald editor and is given responsibility also for The Herald on a Saturday.
Among those leading sports journalists affected by the move are Stephen Penman, deputy editor of the Sunday title, Doug Gillon, the award-winning sports reporter on the daily title, and Alan Campbell, the widely-respected sportswriter.
More on sports desk job cuts:
Mair and Knight leave Telegraph; Buckley goes from Obs
Chadband among casualties in Derry Street
Martin Johnson latest to leave the Telegraph
Fraser quits Independent to return to Middlesex
Express to cut more than 70 jobs
Publishers pull the plug on two football blogs
Harry Harris to leave Express
Sports desk at centre of Telegraph concern
Brighton’s weekly sports paper to close
NUJ chapel protest at Independent‘s sports cuts
Mossop and Phillip leave Telegraph
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