Jan. 2, 2018 – Journalists at the Swindon Advertiser in England have begun a two-day strike to protest low pay and poor working conditions at the regional daily newspaper, which is owned by Newsquest, a subsidiary of Gannett.
“We stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Swindon, who are fighting the same tight-fisted corporate bosses many NewsGuild members face,” said President Bernie Lunzer.
Members of the Swindon chapter of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) are picketing outside the paper’s Old Town offices and have received support from locals in Wiltshire, Bristol and Oxford.
“Newsquest’s shabby treatment of its journalists and journalism is shocking. Everything is sacrificed to the bottom line including the relationship with local readers who are treated as free suppliers of content,” said Laura Davison, a national organizer for the union. “Well done to NUJ members in Swindon standing up for quality local news coverage and for the investment in decent pay, conditions and staffing that enables that.”
The union has been engaged in talks over pay with Newsquest senior management since November 2016, but say they have been stonewalled.
Last month Newsquest announced that the group web editor, news editor and three content managers based at Swindon were at risk of layoffs.
Messages of support and solidarity can be sent to: campaigns@nuj.org.uk or tweeted to @AdverStrike #Cutsquest.