2,000 back Unite campaign to keep Trinity Mirror in Liverpool

Trinity announced earlier this month that it would be closing the plant and moving its North West portfolio, including the Liverpool Post and Liverpool Echo, to Oldham.

But Unite has demanded that the plant is kept open and held a rally on Saturday morning in Liverpool city centre in order to gain support from local people.

Paul Finegan, Unite national officer, said: "It went very well – in just under four hours we got more than 2,000 signatures – all this despite being unable to advertise it in the local newspapers.

"People were just walking up to us and saying 'This is a disgrace, where do I sign?'"

The union is now planning a follow-up rally in order to further raise awareness. It is also looking to open a dialogue between the local council and Trinity Mirror.

Although Trinity has said it is happy to discuss plans with the union and local authorities, it has maintained that the cost of building a new plant for Liverpool would be around £21m more expensive than the £7m upgrades that are to take place at Oldham in order to print the papers.

Sara Wilde, regional managing director for Trinity Mirror North Wales and North West, said: "We remain committed to the ongoing talks with the union and welcome any suggestions from local councils or government agencies as to how they might help us respond differently amid a period of global economic hardship.

"We continue to examine any remaining possibilities.

"Our primary commitment is to our readers and our workforce, so we will carry on making the decisions that will ensure the Echo and its sister papers continue to serve their communities and that protect against further job losses at our company."