Ballot for strike action
Chris Morley (NUJ Reach National Co-ordinator)
The National Union of Journalists has confirmed its members at Reach plc – the UK’s largest national and regional news publisher - will be balloted on strike action and/or action short of a strike following the union’s decision to reject a pay increase offer for Reach employees of 3pc or £750, whichever is more.
Reach has been informed of the decision by the NUJ and members of the Reach NUJ group chapel will be balloted in the coming weeks.
Former Birmingham Evening Mail journalist Chris Morley (pictured), who is the NUJ Reach national co-ordinator, said: “Our members think it’s a bit rich that one of Reach’s flagship publications should denounce ‘fat cat’ bosses for their greed while their workforces struggle with the cost-of-living crisis on below-inflation pay rises. That’s because the very journalists writing these and other excellent stories throughout the group are being told to swallow a massive pay cut by their boss getting by on a pay package worth £4m-plus last year.”
The latest Reach annual report showed the chief executive had total remuneration worth that of 104 of his median paid staff on £39,376 – a salary figure many of our members simply would not recognise.
“Of course, the Daily Mirror is right to highlight the huge disparities in pay between the boardroom and workforce, but if it is to remain as the voice of working people, the values behind its editorial content should at least be matched by the practice of the company that is behind the headlines,” said Chris.
He added: “The bare 3% or £750 guaranteed minimum offered to our members in the face of double-digit rises in the Retail Price Index has been rejected by members as an insult which leaves many of them not knowing how they and their families will get by this year. Reach can and must do better on pay.”
“Members are incredibly disappointed that we have now reached this point in the road where the company is still failing to acknowledge the struggle they are up against in any meaningful way.
“They have performed heroics during the pandemic as key workers. Yet most have had the burden of soaring energy costs transferred onto their shoulders via the company’s policy of home working from which Reach will make millions of pounds worth of annual savings from closing most of the group’s offices - with virtually no financial help to do so.
“Our members have also been ultra-flexible in adapting at very short notice to the company’s scramble to collect the millions of extra digital page views crucial to the company’s revenue and yet are told to swallow an effective pay cut that is slicing deeper into their living standards all the time.
“The board – made up of multi-millionaires - appears totally remote from what is happening on the ground. Without a better deal on the table, their journalists are already voting with their feet and finding other jobs that can pay all the rising bills.
“What is the point of a media company that gives as the purpose of its titles ‘to each serve their communities with integrity and passion’ if it fails to look after its own staff?
“As a union, we are getting the increasingly clear message from members that they are not willing this time to turn the other cheek on another poor pay offer and are saying: enough is enough. They acknowledge the economy is tough but reluctantly have decided to move to a ballot for industrial action.
“Chapels have not taken this move lightly and management should recognise the importance of coming back with a fair offer.” He said.
Meanwhile, Reach has announced the launch of its new editorial awards, set up by the company to honour the “brilliant journalism in our local and national titles” every month. Under the scheme, a ‘story of the month’ prize will be awarded for each of Reach’s titles.
