Link to this page: http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/668/11925
From The Socialist newspaper, 27 April 2011
Striking for jobs
Paul Kershaw
Around 100 people followed a funeral cortege, complete with incense, a coffin and the grim reaper to mark the 'near death' of north London and Hertfordshire newspapers in the Tindle group.
Nine members of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) began a series of two-day strikes on 19 April, protesting at the failure to replace staff when they leave. "Just three reporters are churning out nine newspapers every week" said the NUJ father of chapel, Jonathan Lovett. "The current Tindle business plan threatens to let once award-winning newspapers dwindle and die".
Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ deputy general secretary, spoke to pickets on the first day of the strike: "I've come here today to show support for our union members bravely standing up to say 'enough is enough' and that the communities they serve deserve better...
"If Sir Ray [Tindle] has the commitment he says he has to quality local journalism he should maintain staffing levels that allow journalists to do their job - we need more than lip service."
As solidarity messages highlighted, many other papers face a slide into 'churnalism' with reporters stuck in the office reproducing press handouts rather that going out to investigate. On the eve of their action the Enfield Nine workers were issued letters warning that redundancies could be made in the near future but they say this has only galvanised them into fighting for the future of their papers.
The strikers and supporters marched from the papers' offices to the centre of Enfield on 20 April at lunchtime. Speakers included anti-cuts campaigners and members of the community who spoke of the need to know what is happening in their community.
- More information is available at: http://strikegazadpres.wordpress.com/
- Messages of support to: email: strikegazadpres@hotmail.co.uk
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In The Socialist 27 April 2011:
Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
Fight the cuts: Vote for a socialist alternative
Fight the cuts - strike, demonstrate, stand against cuts
TUSC election challenge: vote socialist to stop the cuts
May Day Greetings
May day Greetings in The Socialist May 2011
Socialist Party news and analysis
No Health Cuts, No Privatisation
NHS cuts Leeds: Save Yorkshire's children's heart surgery unit
Teachers' conference calls for strike ballot to defend pensions
Bristol 'Tesco riot' reveals anger
Royal wedding: Not much bread but there's plenty of circuses
Socialist Party workplace news
Management failures force school strike
National Shop Stewards Network 2011 Conference
Saltend lockout: Struggle continues
Support the Leeds Fed strikers
International socialist news and analysis
Syria: Assad's regime uses brutal terror to suppress opposition
Socialist history
Manningham Mills 1890-1891: A strike that changed Britain's unions
Socialist Party campaigns
Police assist racist EDL marchers
Swansea says: make the fat cats pay!
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