Newsroom
Mass meeting over cuts at Financial Times
Journalists at the Financial Times are to hold a day of action next week against proposed compulsory redundancies on the paper.
Management want to axe 20 editorial jobs – but only eleven volunteers have come forward.
NUJ Member of Honour and former Labour cabinet minister Tony Benn will address a mass meeting in the canteen of the London-based company.
On the same day – January 22 – NUJ members at the paper will wear stickers opposing the job losses and pledging support for the union’s Stand Up for Journalism campaign.
The decision to oppose the cuts was taken unanimously at a chapel meeting of around 100 people.
A secret management document has been seen by workers at the FT.
It makes clear that more jobs will go in production in the future.
The document outlines a so-called "create-craft-complete" model for copy flow in the newsroom - or CCC.
FT journalists have dubbed it “Cut-Cut-Cut”.
Barry Fitzpatrick, NUJ Head of Publishing, said: “It is the first time that compulsory redundancies have been threatened at the Financial Times.
“The FT remains one of the most profitable media companies and they have no need to make compulsory redundancies.
“They are risking a great rift in the company's relationship with their journalists.”
The action at the FT is part of a union-wide campaign against media cutbacks.
16 January 2009
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