Support Coventry journalists’ action

Journalists in the NUJ union at Coventry Newspapers were set to strike on Thursday and Friday of this week to protest against low pay.

The union members were planning to hold disruptive union meetings. But bosses claimed such action was unlawful and told workers that if they downed tools for short meetings they would have their pay docked for a whole day.

Members of the NUJ chapel (workplace union branch) decided to stay away for the whole two days.

The strike will hit the Coventry Evening Telegraph, Coventry Citizen, Nuneaton Tribune, Bedworth Echo and Hinkley Times. Some 43 journalists supported the previous strike on Friday 17 June after union members voted by 80 percent for strikes.

The Trinity Mirror company, which owns the titles, has offered a basic pay deal of 2.75 percent with some extras on minimum bandings. Trinity Mirror made profits of more than £200 million last year.

Miles Barter, the NUJ’s northern organiser, told Socialist Worker, “Workers held disruptive union meetings on Wednesday and Thursday of last week.

“Sly Bailey, the chief executive of Trinity Mirror, visited the Coventry Newspapers building on Monday of this week. She earned more than £1 million last year. We are urging workers to send us messages of support.”

Send messages of support to [email protected] and send donations made payable to “Coventry Branch National Union of Journalists” to 4 Ribble Road, Coventry, CV3 1AU.