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July 21, 2005updated 22 Nov 2022 4:14pm

Coventry staff begin five-day strike

By Press Gazette

By Sarah Lagan

Journalists at Coventry Newspapers began a five-day strike over pay on Wednesday.

Coventry Evening Telegraph NUJ Mother of Chapel Barbara Goulden said
Trinity Mirror had imposed its 2.75 per cent pay offer with £200 for
minimum pay bands, and that it would introduce a competency-based
salary structure next year, which the NUJ rejected.

She said: “We
want a formal written promise now of money on the table in January. We
want the £800 gap on minimum wages between us and the Birmingham Post
and Mail bridged in some way. We are eager to talk and will suspend the
picket lines if Trinity is willing to negotiate.”

A Trinity
spokesman said: “Having improved our offer several times since the
start of the process, we are unable to go any further on pay increases.

“Once
the threat of industrial action has been lifted, we will be keen to
work with the NUJ on the design and implementation of a
pay-for-competence structure for staff at Coventry.”

Journalists at the South London Guardian are due to stage a three-day strike from Monday over pay.

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Newsquest
is offering a rise of three per cent backdated to 1 April, but
journalists are asking for six per cent with London weighting.

Nineteen out of the 25 NUJ members who voted were in favour of the action.

A
Newsquest South London spokesman said: “The company considers the three
per cent increase, backdated to 1 April, a fair offer that is made
against a difficult trading period.”

FoC David Tilley said: “A lot of trainees start on £14,000, which is virtually impossible to live on in London.”

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