News
Johnston Press jobs at risk in proposal to axe printing plant
Newspaper publisher Johnston Press has begun a consultation process with an eye to closing one of its web printing plants and making cuts to a second.
More than 80 jobs could be lost as part of the proposals – 69 at the company's Northampton Web plant, which faces the prospect of closure. A further 13 jobs are at risk at Peterborough Web as Johnston Press looks to reduce capacity.
A consultation on the proposals is currently being run and will be complete by 29 August 2008.
A statement from Johnston Press said: "Prior to any implementation, employees will be consulted extensively on an individual and collective basis.
"In the event this proposal goes ahead, the company will endeavour to minimise the impact of the proposal through voluntary redundancy and by redeployment to alternative positions within the company and the JP Group."
Unite the Union has been in discussions with Johnston Press, as well as members, in the lead up to this consultation, however the organisation is not confident of saving the jobs.
National officer Steve Sibbald said: "We are not playing the ostrich, we know that when a company airs its intentions to close, the times we get a turnaround is one in a million.
"With the state of the market as it is chances are pretty remote. You have News International and Trinity Mirror walking around saying we can print everything because they have so much space.
"News International are desperate to fill their 85,000 copies per hour presses until they have virtually cornered the market, then watch their prices go up.
"With the reduction in advertising revenue and circulation along with the most dramatic increase in newspaper printing capacity we have ever seen in the UK, it is inevitable that this will continue to happen."
He added: "We will do everything we can to alleviate the affect this has on our members most of who have worked in the industry for many decades."
Johnston Press chief executive Tim Bowdler
Comments
- 01 August 2008
This is the period of consolidition and we will see more to come over the next few months.
Strategies for Change!
What do we actually mean by “change”? The word has become commonplace in organisational language, but it means different things to different people, and depends hugely on the perception of the person in question. To someone who has never been involved in change, a minor shift in work pattern may seem like the end of the world; but to an experienced and enlightened change champion, even large changes can seem like routine events.
Open your mind up to the `Challenges` we face in a global trading environment to be successful.
The creation of shareholder value is the primary objective of any organisation, be it a plc or privately funded company - and research indicates that the pressure senior managers already face to deliver value will intensify significantly into the future with a global economy.
Today, it is vital that all senior management builds and delivers superior long-term value to meet and exceed the expectations of all its organisations shareholders.
Colin Thompson
Cavendish
www.cavendish-mr.org.uk
Don Jones - 01 August 2008
Ricky Gervais strikes again with his "top" advice.
This is just jargon not practical advice for anyone, but thanks anyway Colin.
The Mighty wind - 01 August 2008
can he do the dance as well!!
The Mighty wind - 01 August 2008
bad news for the area, after Quebecor closing and evident problems at TPF
Bored of This Stuff - 07 August 2008
Not more Thompsontwaddle!
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