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From The Socialist newspaper, 20 July 2011
South Yorkshire journalists start all-out strike
A South Yorkshire Newspapers NUJ member
Twenty NUJ journalists at South Yorkshire Newspapers have marched out on a unanimous, indefinite strike over greedy owners Johnston Press's latest efforts to hack their jobs.
The cash-strapped company borrowed up to a billion pounds in the last decade, then watched its shares collapse from 428p to just 4p in the slump. Its shares currently hover around the 5p mark.
New managing director and axeman, John Bills, was brought into the company last December. He never discussed cuts with anyone - or even met some editors - but allowed the editor of the Doncaster Free Press, Graeme Huston to draw up a redundancy hitlist. This included half the Mexborough editorial team at the South Yorkshire Times, including its editor, 37-year-long NUJ member Jim Oldfield.
The proposal is to edit the South Yorkshire Times in Doncaster, once more by Huston - who took some 2,500 off its sales of 6,500 in three years when he last ran it.
When Oldfield took over the title in 2009 he reversed circulation losses of around 30%, making the paper South Yorkshire's best-performing paid-for title in 2010 with losses of just 3.3%.
At the Free Press, Huston has already dispatched his sports editor. The flagship title's sport, along with that of the South Yorkshire Times, will now be edited by the Free Press news editor.
An editor at the free Goole Courier is also proposed for redundancy.
NUJ official Lawrence Shaw said: "The community is right behind us and we've had a great response from passers-by, regular readers and campaigning groups in the local community such as the Socialist Party which has already been out supporting our members on the ground."
- Please email nujmanchester@nuj.org.uk and follow @DoncasterNUJ on Twitter for latest updates on the dispute. Also see www.nuj.org.uk
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In The Socialist 20 July 2011:
News International scandal
Get rid of Cameron, Murdoch and all they represent
Socialist Party news and analysis
Capitalism stuck in a blind alley
Anti-cuts news and campaigning
'No cuts' budgets or 'parallel' budgets?
Legal Aid Bill - Access to justice is under attack
Immigration Advice closure shows need for industrial struggle
Stop Swansea coastguard closure
Southampton council workers' struggle continues despite imposition of new contracts
Labour takes axe to Sure Start in Liverpool
The NHS
Privatisation and cuts undermine the NHS
A day in the life of a student nurse: Overworked - but happy to help
Socialist Party workplace news
Bromley Unison reps resign in protest at union's disgraceful actions
South Yorkshire journalists start all-out strike
Strike solid at BBC Leeds office
Renationalise Bombardier to save jobs
London NSSN meeting - 'real debate' on preparing for coordinated action
Socialist Party reports and campaigns
Defending state education - Brighton academy victory
TUSC: Building an electoral challenge to Con-Dem and Labour cuts
Tolpuddle says: 'step up the action'
The Work Programme: is it only chasing people off benefits?
International socialist news and analysis
South Africa: Massive metal workers' strike
Selling the Socialist
Socialist Party review
Music review - "This place is coming like a ghost town..."
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