LRC averts regional press strikes

EMPLOYEES of 27 regional newspapers have shelved plans to strike this weekend. The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) confirmed yesterday that the strike action had been averted following the conclusion on Tuesday of their conciliation meeting at the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) with the Regional Newspapers Association of Ireland (RNAI) in a dispute over pensions.

The RNAI has agreed to resume contributions to the national defined benefit pensions scheme, which it had planned to wind up.

Some 27 member titles including The Western People, The Kerryman, The Connacht Tribune and The Drogheda Independent had voted for a three-day strike, to begin on March 18.

At Tuesday's meeting, union and management representatives agreed on a three-month timeframe for the conclusion of discussions on the pension scheme. Welcoming the decision, NUJ Irish Secretary, Seamus Dooley said: "We're happy that the current threat to the pension scheme has been lifted.

"Our members were enraged by the unilateral decision to wind up the scheme and by the RNAI insistence that they would not attend the LRC.

"Yesterday the RNAI attended the Labour Relations Commission and confirmed that the instruction to wind up the pension scheme issued last month to the trustee would be suspended.

"We now wish to sit down with the employers, under the auspices of the LRC, to discuss a range of issues relating to the pension scheme."

According to a spokesperson for Independent News & Media (INM), meanwhile, protective notice which was served on its regional staff (including Carlow People, Wexford People and The Kerryman) earlier this week is expected to be lifted, now that the widespread strike action has been suspended.