JP strike action called off

Strike action at Johnston Press has been dramatically called off, just days before it was due to take place.
The NUJ this morning announced that a one day strike would take place next Wednesday, as revealed by The Blog on Tuesday.
But JP lawyers have blocked any action by arguing that the company doesn’t actually employ any journalists.
They have successfully argued that the journalists are actually employed by subsidiary companies across the company.
Hence the Union should have informed these companies individually of the action rather than the parent company.
Sources within the company told The Blog that managers had clearly been ‘rattled’ by the strike attempt and added that editors had been ‘pressured to persuade their staff not to strike.’
And one added that the legal action is unlikely to stop the journalists, who are upset over pay conditions and the company’s ATEX content system.
He said: “If the company thinks bully boy legal tactics will appease it’s staff it has another thing coming.
“People are atognised by this move and I suspect it will prove to be a sticking plaster rather than a solution.
“This action seems certain to happen at some stage.”

State of Play: Chaos

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