JOURNALISM: PAY TALKS BETWEEN THE NUJ AND REACH BREAK DOWN

Reach – publishers of the Daily Record, Sunday Mail and Dumbarton Lennox Herald – this week offered a 3 per cent/£750 increase to journhalists, which was overwhelmingly rejected by 79 per cent of members in ballot results earlier this month. As the union was poised to go on strike last Friday (August 26), the employer, at the eleventh hour, proposed talks with the NUJ brokered by ACAS.

Following two days of negotiations over the bank holiday weekend, brokered by ACAS the arbitration service, talks between the NUJ and Reach have broken down with no deal.

Journalists at Reach – the group which includes the Daily Record, Sunday Mail, the Scottish Express and Star titles and regional papers, as well as the Daily Mirror – will be taking their first day of strike action tomorrow (Wednesday), 31st August.

NUJ reps unanimously passed a vote of no confidence in the chief executive, added an extra strike day to their planned industrial action and extended the work to rule, as the talks failed to resolve the dispute.

At a packed meeting, reps from across the UK and Ireland spoke of their anger and disappointment that the company has chosen to squander the chance of a settlement to the dispute.

As a consequence, the strike will go ahead tomorrow, with a work to rule kicking in on the return of journalists on Thursday. NUJ reps also agreed to issue notice of an additional day of strike action, meaning that a three-day strike will now take place from Tuesday 13th September to Thursday 15th September. They also committed to put in place an ongoing work to rule from Friday 16th September.

The NUJ Glasgow branch will be joining the picket line tomorrow at Reach’s Scotland HQ from 9.30am until 12pm outside, One Central Quay, Glasgow G3 8DA.We want to ensure as big a turnout as possible to support the striking journalists and raise morale – so please come along!

Wear your badges, bring snacks and banners but most importantly, bring yourselves.

If you would like some company along to the picket line, we plan to meet outside the Jurys Inn on Jamaica Street from 0910, to walk along to Reach HQ – which is an approx 15 min walk.

If you would like any further info, please contact us by email.

We hope to see you there, in solidarity.

ADDITIONAL WAYS TO SUPPORT THE STRIKE

Solidarity messages
Please share your messages on Twitter and Instagram using #NUJReachstrike, tagging @nujofficial and @nujGlasgow in your post. The NUJ will feature as many messages as possible on strike days. Use the logo at the top of this newsletter in your posts.

Strike fund
When members are on strike, they lose pay. This isn’t a decision that anyone takes lightly. Tomorrow will be the first day – and also September 13, 14 & 15 – when our members at Reach will be on strike. Losing pay on strike days can cause hardship to some. You can support our members who are on strike by donating to our hardship fund. https://www.nuj.org.uk/resource/reach-hardship-fund.html

Follow updates on NUJ Reach strikes here: https://www.nuj.org.uk/resource/take-action-on-pay.html

STRIKE ACTIONS TAKING PLACE ACROSS GLASGOW

There are several cross union and industry strikes taking place across Glasgow. Please go along to what you can and support fellow striking workers. Follow Glasgow Strike Solidarity (@GlasgowStrike) and STUC (@ScottishTUC) for up to date information.