The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has entered into a new round of pay talks with newsgroup Reach, suspending strike action by employees of the Mirror, the Express and dozens of other newspapers.
The industrial action, in which Irish journalists were due to take part, was scheduled to begin with a one-day walkout on Friday, but NUJ representatives accepted a proposal by the company on Thursday to enter into immediate negotiations under the auspices of UK arbitration body Acas, with a view to achieving a settlement.
In the event of negotiations not reaching a successful conclusion, the NUJ’s planned strike action for next Wednesday will go ahead, the union said.
NUJ members had been due to picket Reach’s offices in Belfast and take part in a demonstration, while in Dublin, where Reach staff are working from home, a symbolic protest at O’Connell Street’s Larkin statue had been planned, but was called off.
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Journalists voted in favour of strike action earlier this month after a final offer of a 3 per cent pay rise was rejected as insufficient in light of the soaring cost of living.
NUJ officials have also drawn attention to operating profits of more than £146 million (€173 million) at Reach in 2021, the pay package awarded to chief executive Jim Mullen and an apparent gulf between the Daily Mirror’s editorial support for workers in other industries and the attitude of its publisher.
In the Irish market, Reach, formerly known as Trinity Mirror, publishes the Irish Daily Mirror, the Sunday Mirror and the Irish Daily Star newspapers, while it also owns RSVP magazine and the websites Dublin Live and RSVP Live.
“The NUJ served industrial action because of the company’s failure to engage in meaningful negotiations with the NUJ,” said the union’s general secretary Michelle Stanistreet.
“The pay offer by the company was unacceptable. The overwhelming vote for industrial action reflected the strong views of our members. We welcome the invitation to talks and both sides will enter into the process of negotiations in good faith and with a sense of urgency. The NUJ is committed to achieving a fair outcome.”
