News programmes at Scottish broadcaster STV could be blacked out because of a 24 hour strike by journalists at their Pacific Quay headquarters and satellite offices.Members of the Naional Union of Journalists at the company want a six per cent pay rise.
The broadcaster claims its pay offer, which has been accepted by other staff at the company but not by journalists, is fair and affordable.
Network programmes and commercials will be broadcast as usual. If the dispute is not resolved, another one-day strike will take place next month.
Thursday’s news bulletins and the current affairs programme Scotland Tonight were replaced by other material. Online news services was also be affected.
Leading journalists such as political reporter Colin Mackay, John MacKay and Kelly Ann Woodland joined their colleagues on a busy news day which would have seen them reporting and commenting on important matters such as the Assisted Dying.
It is understood that no attempt was made to produce news bulletins, including the main STV News at Six, using staff who are not on strike.
There were be pickets outside STV’s studios in Glasgow, Dundee and Aberdeen and a demonstration outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh.
The NUJ is seeking a six per cent rise for members to help keep pace with inflation.
The union argues salaries for journalists at the company have fallen behind the pay for equivalent roles at the BBC and ITV, which runs the rest of the channel three network.
‘Award-winning journalism’
Nick McGowan-Lowe, the union’s national organiser for Scotland, said: “Journalists at STV have not just been reporting on the cost-of-living crisis – they’ve been experiencing it too.
“Our members across Scotland produce the award-winning journalism that is the flagship of the STV brand and are only asking for their pay to keep track with inflation.
“Simon Pitts, pictured right, STV chief executive, was paid over £900,000 from the company last year – and only a small fraction of that would settle this dispute. He and the STV board needs to listen to members and come back to the table with a fair offer,” he added.
The union claims about a third of newsroom staff at STV are earning less than the starting salary of a teacher, which is less than £30,000 a year, and that most earn less than a teacher with five years’ experience.
The truth of the matters is that journalists’ pay right across Scotland, including in the weekly newspaper business, is shocking.
‘Unrealistic and unaffordable’
STV said it invests £8 million a year in news and described the NUJ’s pay claim as “unrealistic and unaffordable”.
The company said: “We’ve continued to engage with the NUJ with the aim of finding resolution and we remain open to further dialogue, but their claim for an above inflation pay increase of 6% is unrealistic and unaffordable.
“In this current economic climate, the offer made is both fair and financially responsible and is already being paid to over 85 per cent of our colleagues across the rest of the [our] business, including news colleagues in the BECTU union who voted to accept the award.
“Our enhanced offer of this week, which included confirmation of a bonus for all STV employees – as we won’t agree a separate deal for NUJ members – was rejected by the NUJ.
“Contingency plans are in place.”
- STV’s leading journalist and presenter, Bernard Ponsonby, retired from journalism this week and was interviewed on his retirement by John McKay, who has replaced him as the leading figure on the news, politics and current affairs side of the business.