GNM editorial staff vote to oppose changes to pay and conditions

Guardian News & Media editorial staff today voted to oppose proposed changes to pay and conditions, including the axing of sabbaticals. The National Union of Journalists chapel for the Guardian, Observer and theguardian.com publisher also voted against proposals to outsource technical support and some work at Guardian Creative, a department that produces sponsored supplements. NUJ members at the meeting were told that company wants to end journalist sabbaticals – a four-week paid break for every four years of service. GNM, which also publishes MediaGuardian.co.uk, is also proposing to cut rates paid to casual staff. The chapel voted unanimously against the proposal. NUJ members voted in favour of claiming an across-the-board flat rate pay rise for editorial staff, which would work out at just over 2% if averaged out. More than 40 GNM editorial staff are understood to have taken voluntary redundancy . GNM is looking to reduce its headcount after the organisation made an operating loss of £36.8m in the last financial year. Parent company GMG, which also runs regional newspapers, radio stations and the Trader Media Group and Emap joint ventures, recorded a pre-tax loss of £89.8m. This loss was attributed largely to GMG's restructuring of its portfolio, particularly the sale of 49.9% of Trader Media Group to Apax, and non-trading losses. In November GNM revealed that more than 100 of the publisher's 1,700 editorial and commercial posts were to be cut. • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email [email protected] or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. • If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".