Manchester Evening News staff strike in pay dispute with parent company Reach

Manchester Evening News staff are striking as part of a pay dispute with parent company Reach. At least 30 journalists who work for the paper and website manchestereveningnews.co.uk walked out after negotiations between the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) and Reach broke down.

The NUJ estimates they join 1,150 journalists across the country from titles including the Liverpool Echo, The Newcastle Chronicle, The Daily Mirror and the Daily Express. The staff are fighting for an increase in salary above what the company has already offered. The union has rejected a pay increase of 3 per cent or £750 saying it is not enough for members facing the cost of living crisis.

Three more days of strikes are planned for later in September. Reach say they have agreed pay settlements with two other unions and the spiralling energy crisis has driven up newsprint costs to a record high.

According to the NUJ, 749 people took part in the strike ballot and 79 per cent of them voted in favour of a strike. A spokeswoman for Reach said: “We greatly value our journalists and are disappointed that, despite our best efforts during a long negotiation process and successful agreements with Unite and the BAJ, we have been unable to reach an agreement with the NUJ.

“Whilst this is not the outcome we would have wished for, 2022 continues to be extremely challenging for the whole publishing sector with reduced demand for advertising and energy inflation driving the cost of newsprint to record levels. We therefore remain focused on protecting the interests of all our colleagues and stakeholders, ensuring the group has a sustainable future in the face of an uncertain economic climate.

“We continue to be open to further talks at any time to resolve