Meetings everywhere

Members of the Enfield Nine have just returned from addressing various NUJ meetings about our strike.

Chief photographer Anne-Marie Sanderson and sub editor James Lowe were invited to a branch meeting of the London Freelance Branch at the House of Commons while our FoC spoke at a meeting of the London Magazine Branch. All received encouraging words of support and generous donations. Thank you all for giving us the chance to spread our message.

Members will also be attending a meeting with the London Central Branch on Tuesday evening and Clerkenwell and St Pancras Unite on Wednesday this week.

The fight continues…

Tindle keep Enfield Nine in the dark

THE Enfield Nine returned to work this week after two weeks of intense strike action.

At 8.30am on Tuesday morning we convened in a local cafe, which has become an unofficial strike HQ for us, and proudly walked back into our office, united as always, with our heads held high.

We half-expected letters to be waiting for us on our desks or an instant summons from Tindle management but instead we were met with wave upon wave of… silence.

Tindle is, indeed, a peculiar beast. Throughout the strike action we hardly received a peep from them and even now I had to request a meeting with our publisher and managing director to find out what on earth was happening with this veiled threat of “redundancies” and “restructuring” which was stated in a letter received from them on the eve of our action.

As was to be expected neither had anything of significance to say and I was fobbed off with a vague promise that there would be announcements in “due course”. A huge part of the problem is that the group is run by one man, Sir Ray Tindle, who seems to make all of the crucial decisions so, unsurprisingly, his subordinates continually fudge, duck and sidestep perhaps because they are as genuinely in the dark as we are.

So we continued with the day-to-day in a weird kind of limbo land, punctuated by uplifting evening meetings such as addressing the NUJ’s Press and PR branch who presented us with a generous donation and inspired us with warm words of support and solidarity. Once again, the support from across not just the industry, but from trade unions and individuals across the country, has been one of the most rewarding aspects of our strike and it further reiterates that our cause is just and right.

With little reaction from senior management – and only a vague promise of a meeting – it is once again up to us to take the initiative and take the fight to them in the hope of reversing their suicidal policy of non-replacement of staff. Various options are being considered this weekend and whatever happens Tindle is naive to think it is just business as normal at North London & Herts Newspapers.  Watch this space…

Jonathan Lovett

Father of the Chapel

Concluding thoughts of our FoC

It’s been… emotional.

Two weeks of strike action, 6,000 leaflets handed out, 48 articles (and counting) written about us, two BBC radio interviews, hundreds of letters in support, countless hours of labour, nine journalists.

All because management would not give us just one more reporter – on a fixed term contract of just a year, no less – to help us out with the ridiculous workload that has meant three reporters churning out nine newspapers for our much-abused readers.

But, after all those facts and figures, what have we actually achieved? Tindle management has not, as yet, agreed to one concession after nearly 12 months of negotiation… will they do so now? We can only hope these two intense weeks will help focus their minds as they are forced to realise the massive groundswell of support for our campaign indicates that we are right and they are wrong.

But besides from that we have also achieved something invaluable: self-respect. I am so proud of the Enfield Nine. Adam, Anne-Marie, James, Kim, Liz, Lucy, Lee and Mary have all stood up for themselves and our beleaguered profession. They have put their necks on the line and by so doing have gained enormous respect in our industry and in many trade union movements across the country.

Our union, the NUJ, in particular has taken note and provided excellent support because they see us as the frontline in a battle not just for papers in north London but the newspaper industry as a whole.

So, we go back to work on Tuesday with our heads held high in a far stronger position than we were in before. And, if we still can’t make management see sense, then we have every right to strike again… because what we are doing is not just for ourselves but for every journalist in every newspaper group which places quantity before quality, churnalism over journalism, the bottom line over you… the reader.

Yours in solidarity,

Jonathan Lovett

Father of the Chapel

Striking Tindle journalists hold street party outside HQ

The Enfield Nine ended their fortnight’s strike in celebratory mood today outside Tindle headquarters in Farnham. They organised a colourful street party complete with bunting, fairy cakes, cucumber sandwiches and music in a bid to persuade their owner Sir Ray Tindle to preserve their formerly award-winning newspapers.

It was the latest demonstration in an action-packed two weeks which have seen a mass mock funeral through Enfield, appearances on national radio and huge coverage in the trade press and beyond, triggering a discussion about the future role of quality local journalism in this country.

Father of the Chapel, Jonathan Lovett, said: “It just shows that striking can be a positive action if the cause is right. We feel we have finally found a voice after months of fruitless negotiations and frustration.

“When we started this we didn’t realise we would hit such a nerve with journalists and readers up and down the country.

“We hope this is the start of a national debate about the future of local journalism. For too long, profit-hungry newspaper owners have been getting away with inferior products which do a disservice to their loyal readers.”

Journalists will return to work on Tuesday in the hope of re-opening negotiations with Tindle. Future action has not been ruled out.

We have been buoyed by support from across the country. We hope you can join us in our fight for survival!

Best wishes,

The staff of North London & Herts Newspapers

Contact: FOC Jonathan Lovett on 07917 871421

To find out more visit:

Facebook for Gazette, Advertiser and Press on Strike

Twitter: @StrikeGazAdPres

email: strikegazadpres@hotmail.co.uk

blog: https://strikegazadpres.wordpress.com

YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhP-BLkhbsc

Thoughts of our news editor

FOR almost two weeks now I and my colleagues have been making a stand over the staffing levels at North London and Herts Newspapers.

Recently our news editor of three years, Henry Ellis, moved on to our sister paper at the South London Press, a good move for him, but as we wished him well (and two other reporters around the same time) we all doubted whether the position would be replaced.

We all know that the news editor role is essential role in our office – an article printed in the Press Gazette several years ago is pinned to the noticeboard highlighting the news editor’s need to have their finger on the pulse; be aware of all the national and local stories, the articles that reporters are working on, the photos that are being taken and much more.

When Mr Ellis left the senior reporters remaining agreed that it was important to protect the position, rather than see it vanish as most middle management roles do, for the long-term benefit of the papers. It would have been a lot easier to agree a job share among us. Three months after Mr Ellis left we were told by Brian Doel that we could internally hire a news editor, and after interviews I was appointed.

Around the same time we were told we could internally promote, ACAS, managing director Brian Doel, the NUJ’s Barry Fitzpatrick and our Father of the Chapel Jonathan Lovett were in the final stages of the year-long negotiations. At the final negotiations we were told that at a board meeting on April 8 our request for a junior reporter on a fixed term contact (ideally 12 months) would be “sympathetically” considered, as well as a guarantee for replacement of staff if someone else leaves. Baring in mind that all requests for a percentage pay rise had been long dropped (despite the increased cost of living in the last three years), we hoped this would be the concluding settlement.

Unfortunately the “sympathetic” consideration resulted in a flat out refusal, and another visit from Sir Ray Tindle and his board standing over us spouting depressing figures and dreams that are not coming into fruition.

When I left university I never expected to be the kind to get involved in industrial action, but then, being an optimist, I never expected to be put into this situation either. The news reporters and I work damn hard every week, as a news editor with a small reporting team I have to get hands on and write the news articles too. I know all the journalists and myself take our notepads home to transcribe quotes that we’ve not got around to writing up because either the phone is ringing, there is someone checking you’ve got their email or you’ve just got a tip-off that four police cars are outside a house in Edmonton and you know without getting to the scene you’re not going to have anything to write about.

But this mountain load of work doesn’t just affect us, if the reporter has too much to write up then the subs get the copy late and mistakes get made or missed in the bid to hit our deadline. The photographers are increasingly being asked attend a photo call of time-capsule burials, rather than meet one of our contacts to take a creative picture of a family complaining about an injustice because there is no time to investigate complaints properly.

During these two weeks many people have told us they are in similar situations and we know, despite our own shortage of staff we have still strived to report on local authority cuts as well, and we understand the difficulties. Even though we are not publically funded, we all joined this profession to provide a public service, to hold a light up to hypocrisy, corruption and inequality.

So true to our calling we have stood up and said this abuse – to our readers, advertisers and our staff – should not go on any longer. The Enfield Nine have used the skills we have to drum up immense support in a short space of time, we have written the words for this blog, taken the photos and designed the leaflets, using all media available to us and the reaction has been amazing and we are grateful.

As we embark on our last day of action I want to say we do want a resolution, we don’t want this to go on and on. I only hope that Sir Ray realises the talented and dedicated team he has before him and recognises that all we want, is what he wants; a good local newspaper adored by the readers, with committed advertisers and long-term financial viability. But without the staffing levels I fear the creativity and innovation will be quashed and instead our prediction will come true; the papers will dwindle and die.

Kim Inam

News editor

Summary of day five

ACTOR and artistic director of The Principal Theatre Company Paul Gladwin rallied the troups outside our offices in Enfield this morning with his rendition of Shakespeare’s King Henry V battle cry.

Dressed in full costume, chain mail and sword, Paul inspired the Enfield Nine starting: “Once more unto the breach dear friends, once more…” he also took on the character of Richard III opening monologue: “Now is the winter of our discontent. Made glorious summer by this sun of York…”

We were also joined by former NUJ President Pete Murray, Don Mackglew NUJ Assistant Organiser and members of the Socialist Worker who have been covering our strike and joined us on most days.

Later the strikers headed to High Barnet and North Finchley, handing out leaflets and encouraging motorists to honk their horns in support of the Barnet Press and our cause to provide good quality local news.

A brief summary of day four

Day four the Tindle strikers regrouped in Enfield Town, before drafting a press release rebutting claims that we have not been helpful in generating revenue-raising ideas (see below).

We then headed in to Wood Green and Muswell Hill, where we were joined by Donnacha DeLong from the NUJ, to hand out leaflets in our Haringey Advertiser patch – tomorrow we will be targeting Barnet areas.

This evening FoC Jonathan Lovett and reporter Lucy Purdy have been visiting NUJ members at the Rotherham Advertiser and Chief Photographer Anne-Marie Sanderson and News Editor Kim Inam attended a meeting of the London Photographers branch of the NUJ.

Both groups made donations to the strikers which are gratefully accepted.

Thoughts of photographer Adam Holt

Firstly, I would like to thank everyone who has written letters and posted comments on this blog. Your support is testament to our cause and further proof that we are right and management are wrong!

This dispute has been running for more than a year now, and none of us would have expected things to deteriorate so rapidly. We were a newsroom of 18, that has now been reduced to nine, and as each member has departed, we have all been left scratching our heads and asking….how few of us will be left before another is hired?

You may have heard that three reporters are now producing nine newspapers, which is a worrying statistic alone, but little has been mentioned of losses in other departments. I’m a photographer and last year our desk was reduced from three to two (natural wastage apparently). We are now working “mobile” (from our cars), using personal laptops and various other bits and bobs to ensure that the workload can be covered, all at our own expense. This completely necessary change was forwarded to management, whom instead of supplying the necessary funds and resources to implement the change, issued yet another statement of woe, detailing the company’s hardship in troubling times. Whilst agreeing that my chief photographer and myself would have to make changes, they refused to support the move, so yet again journalists are left out of pocket, in an attempt to maintain quality and standards. Then there are the uncompensated evening hours that everyone in editorial are required to work.

It’s a credit to our profession that journalists everywhere work long hours additional to their contracts, largely to uphold standards and quality output. I hope our strike action will raise awareness of a dwindling press as a whole and encourage fellow journalists to fight for better journalism. After all, none of us chose this profession for money, so if the quality of your publication isn’t worth fighting for, what is?

Adam Holt

Photographer

Tindle staff hit back at claim: ‘only reply was a strike’

STRIKING journalists at North London & Herts Newspapers have today hit back at claims by Tindle management that they have not offered any suggestions to help dig the company out of recession.

All our supporters who have written to our owner Sir Ray Tindle about the action over non-replacement of editorial staff have received a letter claiming: “We asked the whole staff, particularly the journalists, to join with management to seek a solution to the huge losses the papers were making. The only reply was seven days’ notice of a strike.”

In response, the Enfield Nine who feel forced to take industrial action cite the numerous revenue-boosting ideas they have pitched to advertising management, including; a teen model search, a male-targeted magazine supplement, photosales specials, education-related editions, distribution reshuffles, several competition ideas and web-savvy initiatives. These are in addition to a monthly supplement called Families In The Loop which editorial staff pitched to management and is now a 12-page monthly edition successfully bringing in a new source of revenue.

Father of the NUJ chapel Jonathan Lovett said: “The suggestion by management that we have been unhelpful is a downright lie.

“As well as producing nine newspapers in addition to our extensive workload, we have given numerous ideas to management to raise the bottom line. The majority of these have been ignored apart from a successful monthly supplement for families which has done well and showed how far our staff are prepared to collaborate and put in the extra hours.

“It is patronising and simplistic to suggest we have not considered the commercial reality of our situation when we are made all too painfully aware of it on a daily basis.”

Members of the chapel are now out for their second week of strike action. They have made repeated calls to Tindle management to sit down at the table and negotiate. No response has yet been made.

We are buoyed by support from across the country. We hope you can join us in our fight for survival!

Best wishes,

The staff of North London & Herts Newspapers

Contact: FOC Jonathan Lovett on 07917 871421

To find out more visit:

Facebook for Gazette, Advertiser and Press on Strike

Twitter: @StrikeGazAdPres

email: strikegazadpres@hotmail.co.uk

blog: https://strikegazadpres.wordpress.com

YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhP-BLkhbsc

Message from Enfield Council’s cabinet member for culture

Dear Sir Ray Tindle,

Re: Proposed Cuts In Staffing To Enfield Advertiser, Enfield Gazette, Haringey Advertiser and Barnet Press

I am writing to you regarding the proposed cuts to staffing for the above titles and to try and dissuade you from this catastrophic course you seem intent on taking.

I am alarmed and concerned to learn about the dwindling number of staff expected to produce the quality newspapers we expect in Enfield and have no doubt that the non replacement of staff who leave and the threat of further redundancies will lead to an erosion in the quality of the newspapers produced and will lead to the demise of a very important service for the people of Enfield and beyond. I have been a councillor for 17 years and have had the pleasure to deal with and get to know many journalists who have worked on the Enfield Gazette and Advertiser. I have always found the staff to be hard working, talented and dedicated to their job; Enfield as a borough has been the better for it as a result because they do their job properly, as it is meant to be done and the people of Enfield will be the poorer for any decline in standards.

You can be proud of the campaigns that your local journalists have run in the past ranging from people trafficking to corruption and from road safety to the proposed downgrading of the local accident and emergency unit at Chase Farm hospital. In addition there have been many excellent interviews, reviews and features which give the paper balance it needs and which make the local papers such a treasured local institutions.

The Enfield Gazette and Advertiser have for many years provided in depth analysis, scrutiny and led campaigns on behalf of the public. They have quite rightly held public figures and institutions to account and it is hard to imagine how one reporter who is writing for three different papers at the same time will have the time to do this. The danger is that your newspapers’ stories will in future, due to lack of staffing, comprise mainly of rewritten press releases which will we be hard to check and which will then taken as fact and result in churnalsim. We will not tolerate churnalism as an alternative to quality journalism in Enfield!

I find it ironic that there are a number of Sir Ray Tindle scholarships and bursaries available for students to study journalism at the University of Buckingham whilst staffing levels and conditions have been drastically reduced for working journalists locally.

I further understand that your newspapers made a £3 million profit for you last year which begs the question why do you need to make any further reductions in staffing levels by not replacing staff?

If you genuinely believe in quality local journalism you will think again about the imposition of these cuts to staffing.

I urge you to reconsider your proposals and give the people of Enfield the quality local press that they expect and they deserve.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely 

Cllr Bambos Charalambous                                                                                        

Cabinet Member for Culture for Enfield Council