NUJ PA chapel statement on job cuts

The chapel has confirmed it will consult members to discuss next steps, which could include industrial escalation if no movement is made by the company.

The statement shared with PA management states:

The PA Chapel of the National Union of Journalists is disappointed by the management decision to ignore our substantial contributions to the consultation process and continue to pursue plans to make up to 25 editorial staff redundant.

We fear these cuts will affect the quality and quantity of the service to PA customers and ultimately damage PA’s brand and reputation for fast, fair and accurate content.

We are particularly concerned about the impact a reduction of dedicated political reporters in the Commons, House of Lords and Holyrood will have on reporting the day-to-day business of Government and the wider implications that has on our democracy.

In addition, the cuts to production journalists will delay the flow of breaking news to the public and put additional strain on our already overworked colleagues.

We have seen little evidence to back up the management claims these cuts are needed to respond to what PA customers most value, and to make necessary cost savings.

Indeed, we note that the most recent annual accounts filed by PA Media Group hailed record revenues with growth across all areas of the business and recorded shareholder dividends of £7.5 million.

In light of this, the voluntary redundancy package on offer is disappointing and poor. Improving this offer could meaningfully reduce the number of those who may face compulsory redundancy.

The PA NUJ Chapel will be consulting members in the coming days to discuss next steps, which could include industrial escalation if no movement is made by PA.

Read more about the proposed cuts and the union's concerns. 

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