Cumberland newspapers to axe 15 staff

Cumberland newspapers to axe 15 staff
BY ANGUS THOMPSON
Cumberland/Courier newspapers intend to layoff 15 staff members as part of cost-cutting measures, insider sources say.
Announced within the organisation last Tuesday, the group has asked 15 of 230 editorial staff members to volunteer for redundancy, the latest episode in a string of measures to hit News Limited in recent months, including redundancies offered at The Australian in December.
“I regret there have already been some redundancies and undoubtedly there will be more,” said News Limited CEO John Hartigan in a letter addressed to the president of the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA), Christopher Warren.
“Let me make it absolutely clear that I see my role as preserving as many jobs as possible at News Ltd as it confronts the worst economic downturn in our lifetime, and the most profound structural change in our industry that any of us can remember.”
MEAA spokesperson Jonathan Este said that the union was aware of the latest redundancies but did not have the full details on where jobs would be lost.
“We are talking with News Limited and we will be putting our concerns to them,” said Mr Este.
“The key concern we have is that, in order to survive and flourish in a radically changing news environment, organisations need to invest in staff, they have to give readers a reason to come to them, and every journalist’s job lost diminishes those reasons.”
Most Cumberland/Courier publications host an average of three to four staff.
Mr Est said the Cumberland group were actively consulting with staff and the MEAA during the process and acknowledged that current trading conditions for newspapers are extremely tough.
“We understand companies are facing very, very difficult physical conditions. But we urge them to be mindful of the fact that their greatest assets are their staff, and that they need to be consulting at every turn with their staff,” he said.
A meeting has been proposed between News Limited’s group editorial director, Campbell Reid, and MEAA delegates.
Management at the Cumberland group failed to respond after several attempts by The City News to contact them.