The firm publishes The Western Mail, The South Wales Echo, Wales on Sunday and the Celtic series of weekly papers.

Media Wales has today been served with a legal notice that 123 NUJ members based in its Cardiff headquarters and district offices of the Trinity Mirror-owned subsidiary will have strike ballot papers sent to them on 1 October.

The company has also announced its intention to close the Neath and Port Talbot Guardian paid-for weeklies on 1 October.

Martin Shipton, NUJ Father of Chapel at Media Wales, said: "Although we have been briefed fully about the financial position of the company and the group, we are determined that no NUJ member should be made compulsorily redundant as a result of these cuts. We expect the company to ensure that will be the outcome."

Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ Deputy General Secretary, said: “These cuts are on top of previous rounds of job losses and office closures.

“The national union offers our members at Media Wales total support and solidarity.”

The company has announced a two month consultation period for its redundancy proposals.

The ballot in Wales is part of a union-wide campaign against media cutbacks.

24 September 2009

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