View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Archive content
May 20, 2004updated 17 May 2007 11:30am

Archant Norfolk staff set the tone for pay

By Press Gazette

Journalists at Archant Norfolk are seeking a 4.75 per cent pay rise in a move that could set the tone for salary negotiations across the newspaper and magazine publishing group.

The NUJ gained union recognition at the Eastern Daily Press, the Evening News in Norwich and a string of weeklies last October and these are the first pay talks for a number of years.

The company has yet to make a firm pay offer, but has indicated that it will be in the region of 3 per cent.

NUJ negotiators are also looking for a minimum payment of £750 for those earning less than £18,750 a year.

Holiday allocations and bank holiday working are also thought to be under discussion.

Archant is the UK’s fifth biggest regional newspaper publisher and owns four dailies and 90 weeklies. The company declined to comment while talks continue.

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

An Archant journalist, who asked not be named, said: “The outcome of these talks may well be taken as the norm for Archant editorial staff throughout the UK. The traditional Archant pay year started on 5 May.

“The company’s been doing well for a number of years and for most of those years we’ve had very poor deals.”

Archant’s employee shareholder scheme had a record take-up this year.

Some 2,232 staff applied for shares worth about £900,000, meaning 81 per cent of those eligible took part.

According to Archant, staff stand to gain shares worth £500 for an outlay of £75. The company reported profits for 2003 up 13.9 per cent to £27.8m

By Dominic Ponsford

Topics in this article :

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network