The six staff due to lose their jobs today at Brighton and Hove’s daily newspaper have been given a four-week reprieve.
The Argus was due to make six news sub-editors redundant today as staff who belong to the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) start a second day on strike.
The six have been told that they will not be redundant until Friday 17 December when the subbing of the news pages will be carried out from Southampton.
One NUJ member said yesterday: “It doesn’t seem as though they’ve thought things through, like how’s it going to work.
“They’re not ready to take on the work in Southampton.
“The journalists there were on strike last week.
“We were offered the chance to move to Southampton but that meant either moving house or a four-hour daily commute for less money.
“We’ve been asking drivers to hoot their horns in support as they go past and you’ve heard the noise.
Support
“It’s been fantastic. There’s a lot of support for us but whether in the end it’ll make any difference … sadly, I suspect not.”
Today some of the striking journalists were giving out flyers at Brighton Station explaining the reasons for the strike and asking for support.
Yesterday some of them visited two of Brighton’s biggest housing estates.
One of them was quick to point out this morning: “We deliberately haven’t asked people to boycott the paper. We just want them to know what’s happening.”
The Argus did mention the strike today – in a three-paragraph story on page 5.
The staff on strike are inviting people to join them at 3pm today outside the Argus offices in Crowhurst Road, Hollingbury, to show their support.
Yesterday at 11am, dozens of people, from local politicians to ordinary readers, joined the staff on the picket line.
All three Brighton and Hove MPs sent messages of support as did Labour peer Lord Bassam of Brighton and councillors from across the political spectrum.
Generous
More than half a dozen councillors turned up to join or visit the picket line.
And generous Big Issue seller Karen Smith, who was helped to find a home after coverage of her plight in The Argus, visited the picket line to donate a small sum of cash.
Others stopped by to give food, drink and even cigarettes.
Simon Kirby, the Conservative MP for Brighton Kemptown, said: “Supporting local business is one of my key priorities as the Member of Parliament for Brighton Kemptown and so any loss of local jobs is source of regret.
“It is therefore disappointing that Newsquest have decided to relocate the Argus sub-editing function out of Brighton and Hove in favour of Southampton.
“The Argus is a real Brighton and Hove institution and, although it clearly needs to adapt to new challenges, it is a great shame that it seem to be gradually losing its link with our city.
“I believe democracy in our city is best served by having a genuinely local newspaper with journalists and editors who have an in-depth understanding of local issues.
“I also reiterate my backing for the motion unanimously passed by Brighton and Hove City Council last year, supporting the city’s local written media and expressing concern at the growing regionalisation of press coverage in general.
“Unfortunately, this latest move by Newsquest seems to be another example of this and I hope they can be persuaded to reconsider this decision.”
Misguided
Caroline Lucas, the Green MP for Brighton Pavilion, said: “As Brighton’s chief newspaper, The Argus performs a crucial service for local people – disseminating information on what is happening in and around our city and playing a hugely important role in holding our elected representatives to account.
“As a local paper, the Argus is key to encouraging a sense of pride in our communities, and provides a forum for people to talk about their achievements and debate the future of the city.
“This is a service that must be maintained and well resourced which is why I’m opposed to these misguided attempts by the Newsquest owners to pare down to a skeleton staff and move sub-editors to a completely different city.
“What’s more, it seems hugely unfair that Argus staff are facing a two and a half year pay freeze, while the chief executive is in line for a 21 per cent pay increase.
“Sadly, when you put ownership of the media, especially local media, in the hands of distant multinational corporations like Newsquest, the reality is that key decisions are made by people who have no real appreciation for the consequences on the ground.
“I fully support the actions of the NUJ in this strike, and hope to see a favourable outcome for the Argus.”
