Branch solidarity with Reach workers following latest redundancies
The NUJ Birmingham & Coventry branch has passed a motion in support of colleagues at Reach.
Last month the company announced large-scale redundancies with 220 roles due to be cut, mitigated by the creation of 61 new roles. The NUJ condemned the cuts as "an act of self-sabotage", while Reach members passed a vote of no confidence in editorial leadership.
The branch's motion notes that the proposals would leave just six dedicated general reporters to cover England's second largest city, and calls for the company to pause the cuts and instead invest in its journalists.
The NUJ Birmingham & Coventry branch passed the following motion:
"Members of NUJ Birmingham & Coventry branch were shocked to hear Reach is planning to axe nearly half of its live news reporters in the West Midlands as part of mass redundancies it is currently making around the UK.
"Just six general reporters would be left to cover the three million-plus population of the West Midlands. Only 12 dedicated writers in all (including remaining specialist journalists) would be based in the Second City. And the Birmingham base of Reach would house just 18 editorial staff in total if the planned cutbacks take place on 16 November.
"A long line of job reductions in recent years have undermined staff morale and weakened the ability of the local team to produce the quantity of quality journalism the Midlands operation has been renowned for. We support our members whose livelihoods have been put at risk and have been left to fight for their jobs in a coming selection competition.
"We believe Reach has zeroed in on Birmingham to cut harder and deeper because of its headlong drive to garner millions of digital clicks which has now collapsed as a business model. While the company is claiming it is making the cuts to reach a “sustainable” future, experience suggests the opposite. Concern locally is that without investment, the proud journalism brands of the Midlands will become irrelevant to their communities.
"Instead of cutting the West Midlands to the bone, Reach could look at giving the bloated fees of external corporate accountants, lawyers and other advisers a haircut to reinvest in the company’s core journalism business to restore the vitality of distressed centres like Birmingham to provide a proper sustainable future.
"As the UK’s biggest commercial publisher, Reach plc has huge commercial interests throughout the country which support many hundreds of journalists providing vital news and information for local and national communities. It was built on the back of historic brands such as the Birmingham Mail, Birmingham Post and Sunday Mercury – now is the time to use that power to rehabilitate those proud titles but especially their associated digital equivalents such as Birmingham Live.
"This branch demands Reach press the pause button and look at all options to retain a critical mass of reporting capacity in the Midlands."
Branches and chapels can share further messages of support by emailing [email protected]. Individual members can show solidarity by writing to your MP using our template letter.