By Sarah Lagan
Archant Norfolk has confirmed there will be 14 editorial redundancies, two of which are part-time posts, as a result of its restructuring programme. Three of the redundancies were compulsory.
Journalists will leave in early May when the company begins operating a combined subbing pool and a combined sports subbing operation for the Eastern Daily Press, Norwich Evening News and associated weekly titles.
Managing director Brian Dennis originally said that the worst case scenario figure was 17.
Related
All sub-editors had to reapply for their jobs. Some journalists have taken pay cuts and others have had rises, but it is believed that the majority have kept the same salaries.
Those who have taken pay cuts will receive a one-off payment of one-and-ahalf times the difference. The NUJ had urged management not to impose pay cuts on the journalists and instead to freeze their pay, but it refused.
Pete Kelley, for the NUJ chapel committee, said: "Most still believe that the loss of these jobs represents an erosion of quality and is an attack on good papers that serve our communities."
Content from our partners
Dennis said of freezing pay: "It is very difficult to go against group policy.
There were only three compulsory redundancies, which shows we did a really thorough job with it.
"There will be no impact on quality of the reporting end or front-facing end — this has actually pulled together the production units and has picked up where there’s been slack capacity."
Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog
