Staff still without pay after closure of 4 newspapers

STAFF at four newspapers that closed down without warning last Friday have still not been paid even though they were promised payment yesterday.

The now ex-workers at Voice Newspapers in Cavan, Monaghan, Kildare and Tipperary, knew nothing of the pending closures until senior management arrived at the offices.

One of the papers’ main investors is millionaire charity organiser Niall Mellon.

According to staff, company chairman John Sheils and managing director Eleanor Lahart arrived at their offices to shut them down in what was described as a “brutal and shocking” manner. The locks were changed on all premises after workers cleared their desks. According to the staff, the chairman of the Voice group, John Sheils, signed a letter on the day of the closure of the Kildare Voice promising workers would receive one month’s salary in addition to all other monies owed by yesterday.

“Managing director of the Tipperary Voice Eleanor Lahart simultaneously signed a letter for staff in Clonmel, but no bank transfers have been made today,” they said.

Mr Mellon had also promised the workers would be paid by yesterday.

In a statement issued by ex-staff yesterday, they said they were furious at the way the news of their redundancies was communicated to them considering the loyalty and commitment they had shown over the past number of months. The editors of the Kildare and Tipperary Voice titles, said they requested to be allowed to bring out a final edition of the paper and to “end this in a more dignified way”, but were denied permission.

The National Union of Journalists yesterday demanded the company honour commitments made to the 40 workers when they were unilaterally made redundant on March 7.

Séamus Dooley, NUJ Irish secretary, said: “I understand that the company attributes the delay in payment to a banking error. This does not explain why no contact was made with staff and this appalling treatment is consistent with the disregard shown to a loyal group of workers by Mr Mellon and the management team at Voice Newspapers.

“Mr Mellon has a proud track record in supporting development aid and last year was awarded the title philanthropist of the year international. It is regrettable that as principal shareholder he has not insisted on a greater degree of dignity for his own employees,” said Mr Dooley.