Journalists on the Morning Star, the left-wing pro-trades union daily tabloid, are planning to go on strike from next Sunday in an increasingly bitter pay dispute.
Editorial staff represented by the National Union of Journalists want an extra £1,000 a year to supplement their current £19,000 salaries plus some form of recompense for working anti-social hours.
In November 2009, the paper's management - representing its co-operative owners, the People's Press Printing Society - offered £1,000.
But it was part of a three-year deal that staff believe will lead to very small rises in the second and third years. There was also no recognition for anti-social working hours. So the offer was rejected
According to one of the staff planning to strike, management initially refused to negotiate with the NUJ chapel any further. Then, with industrial action looming, a new offer was tabled earlier this month.
Staff were offered £900 in a two-year-deal and some form of recognition for anti-social hours. An NUJ member said: "This is a step forward, but
it isn't enough, and we have asked them to continue to negotiate... they have refused to do so, so we will have no option but to strike."
He also claimed that staff were subjected to "a vicious campaign of smears" that "would make Murdoch proud", and that certain Communist Party members loyal to management acted as spies. (You couldn't make this stuff up).
It is further alleged that management has bought an off-the-shelf company that could conceivably be used in strike-breaking activities or to enable the firing of staff.
My call to the Star's editor, Bill Benfield, had not been returned at the time of posting this item.
There are echoes in this dispute of a similar one more than a year ago when Star journalists originally secured their £19,000-a-year minimum pay deal.
