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February 25, 2009

Johnston Press Leeds journalists announce more strikes

By Owen Amos

Journalists at the Yorkshire Post and Yorkshire Evening Post, who start a second four-day strike tomorrow, have announced more strikes for next month.

The National Union of Journalists chapel at the Johnston Press-owned titles held its first four-day strike last week, due to anger at redundancies.

This afternoon, it announced two more one-day strikes for Wednesday 4 March and Saturday 7 March.

The chapel has also given notice of mandatory chapel meetings on Thursday 5 March, Friday 6 March, Sunday 8 March and Tuesday 10 March.

During the first four-day strike, the papers were filled with extra copy from the Press Association – causing the NUJ to brand the agency an “electronic strike-breaker”.

NUJ assistant organiser Jenny Lennox, who attended a joint chapel meeting in Leeds yesterday, said: “We were stunned by the sophistication of the Press Association strike-breaking operation.

“It has made us more determined than ever to recruit more PA journalists into the union.

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“The Yorkshire Post Newspapers joint chapel are steadfast and determined to fight to save jobs and protect the quality of their papers and websites.”

NUJ deputy general secretary Michelle Stanistreet said: “I visited the picket line in Leeds and was impressed and uplifted by the spirit of the NUJ members and their supporters.

“The union will continue to support them in any way we can.”

Journalists at Newsquest-owned The Press in York held a 12-hour strike yesterday to protest at seven redundancies, announced last week.

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