Fresh concerns for Irish Independent jobs as workers vote to reject pay cuts

THERE is fresh concern over the possibility of job cuts in the Irish newspaper arm of Independent News & Media (IN&M), after editorial staff members at the Irish Independent yesterday voted to reject pay cut offers recently tabled by the group’s management.

Last month, the group said it was looking to save around €1.5 million this year by implementing pay cuts of between 5% and 10%, dependent on pay grade. The Irish Independent, Sunday Independent, Sunday World and various regional titles are affected.

A deadline of January 9 for staff responses had been put back to January 23. However, editorial staff voted on the offer yesterday as part of an already scheduled National Union of Journalists (NUJ) chapel meeting. The union said yesterday it was seeking meetings with IN&M management in light of the vote.

Seamus Dooley, Irish secretary of the NUJ, added: “The mood of the meeting was one of great anger and determination.

“We want the company to sit down and negotiate with the NUJ... we expect management to adhere to industrial relations norms.”

IN&M said it has been pleased with the initial response to the proposal with individual journalists “continuing to sign up”. It added that it was committed to completing the process within its timeframe and would continue dialogue with both staff and unions.

IN&M management is hoping for a 100% acceptance rate to avoid job cuts. The group has lately been looking at ways to save costs, in light of forecast sales and advertising revenue declines. These include cutting 90 jobs at its two London titles, the Independent and the Independent on Sunday, and lowering commissions to newsagents for distribution of its titles here.