News
Unite slams Trinity's freeze on staff pay rises
Unite has reacted angrily to plans by newspaper publisher Trinity Mirror to freeze pay increases for its staff in 2009.
The publisher this week claimed that the severe economic downturn, which has seen a drop in advertising figures, had led to a number of actions being taken to safeguard the business.
Already some 1,200 staff have been made redundant, 44 titles have been closed and the group has announced the closure of its Liverpool plant by the end of 2009.
A Trinity Mirror spokesman said: "We are now taking additional actions to protect the business including no bonuses to be paid relating to 2008 and a company-wide pay freeze.
"However, in recognition of the hard work and commitment required we have introduced a special 2009 incentive scheme in which all employees will participate."
The news has not been well received by Unite, or its counterpart the National Union of Journalists (NUJ).
Steve Sibbald, national officer at Unite, said: "For the last few years when Trinity Mirror has enjoyed huge profits employees have had moderate increases, as well as suffering job cuts and closures. Now, when profits are down but still healthy, they expect employees to suffer a wage freeze.
"The company has now done a huge U-turn in that they have always insisted that each of their sites would be judged separately for any collective bargaining, a national strategy from them will therefore provoke a national reaction from us."
He continued: "Our members have never had the luxury in the good times of sitting in boardrooms giving themselves wage increases, big bonuses and share options. They rely solely on their annual collective bargaining just to keep up with price rises, if the company take even that away they can expect a robust reaction."
Trinity Mirror's titles include the Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror
Comments
Ann O'Dyne - 23 November 2008
When are these idiots at Unite going to get real. Don't they realise we are in, not entering, a recession. A freeze on pay represents a major bonus over being let go. This is another case of the inward looking union bosses promoting their own interests over those of their members and it will end up costing the hard working but unsuspecting members dearly.
Save Print - 24 November 2008
Totally agree Ann!
Why do the unions think it is a God-given right to have a pay rise each year? Many of us in this industry haven't had a rise in 5 or 6 years.
bob mathews - 22 January 2009
its a pity the 2 posters above don't live in the real world! employees of trinity mirror have coperated fully and enthusiastically with the rationalisation of the press room over the past 5 years cutting approx 50% of pressroom staff. during this time the employees have accepted below inflation pay rises.sly bailey pays herself 700k + pension options each year so a pay freeze doen't affect her or indeed the board.the company not the employees chose to dive headlong into the digital arena buying up online employment and housing platforms,the very platforms who's revenue has now crashed.we also didn't choose the editor \(mr morgan god bless him) who chose the mirrors editorial content causing a massive drop in sales and a backlash from the british public.save print if you havn't had a payrise in 5 yrs during the good times,get out now your being taken advantage of and the company must be due to close during this downturn
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