Irish Examiner places staff on protective notice
Around 160 members of the National Union of Journalists are to hold a mandatory meeting this afternoon to discuss the latest developments in their bid for a new pay claim.
The action is due to take place between 4pm and 6pm, although its exact effect on production of tomorrow’s editions of both papers remains unclear.
Today’s stoppage is taking place after NUJ members at the company voted by a substantial majority earlier this month to stage industrial action in pursuit of an 8% pay increase for each of the three years from 2003 to 2005.
The union has lodged its pay claim on the basis that most of its member journalists are paid less than the average industrial wage of €28,000, says the NUJ.
However, this figure is challenged by the company, which claims that the average earnings for all editorial and photographic staff is in the region of €35,000 to €40,000.
In a statement, Examiner Publications regretted the fact that no agreement was reached between the parties following a meeting under the auspices of the Labour Relations Commission last Thursday.
At the LRC meeting the NUJ agreed to ballot its members today on whether to accept the company’s offer.
In a letter to employees explaining the decision to put them on protective notice, Irish Examiner chief executive Tom Murphy urged members of the NUJ to back the deal accepted by the other unions.
The company said that other unions representing around 70% of staff had already accepted its offer of a basic pay increase of 3% in 2003 and 4% for each of the following two years combined with the continuation of profit-sharing arrangements.
“It is hoped that the necessity for lay-offs will not arise and that the current issues will be resolved by normal industrial relations procedures,” read the statement.
The company said it had placed all its employees on protective notice due to the potential damage to the business that might result from any industrial action.
However, NUJ Irish organiser Des Fagan claimed the company was acting in a “Scrooge-like fashion” by its decision to place staff on protective notice. He condemned the action as an attempt to intimidate staff and their families in the run-up to Christmas.
“A profit-share scheme linked to unacceptably low pay increases will not address low pay at the Examiner and Echo.
"The Irish Examiner, which is a national newspaper title, could not expect to be allowed to pay the majority of their journalists salaries that are well below the average industrial wage and in some cases as low as €20,000 per annum,” said Mr Fagan.
“The company has spent millions of euro establishing themselves as a media organisation covering local radio, regional newspapers and national newspapers in the Republic, UK and Northern Ireland.
"They should now reward properly the people who contributed to their success and stop behaving in a manner more likened to Ebenezer Scrooge,” he said.
Both sides maintained that they were committed to finding an equitable solution to the dispute. In the event of the company and the employees not reaching agreement the LRC conciliation officer strongly urged both sides to go to the Labour Court.
Staff at Examiner Publications have not been party to any of the national wage agreements over the past decade.
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