NUJ members at Independent Newspapers have narrowly rejected the company's plan to outsource some editorial jobs. But the company said a significant number of staff had already accepted the plan's terms.
The plan, unveiled in February, involved changes to page assembly activities such as subbing and page lay-out at the Evening Herald, Herald AM, Irish Independent and Sunday Independent. It included plans for 34 voluntary redundancies. But it was rejected by 102 votes to 99 by NUJ members.
The union's Irish secretary Seamus Dooley acknowledged that the company's voluntary redundancy package - eight weeks pay per year of service up to a maximum of €250,000 - was generous, and that it had offered permanent posts to 90 contract of freelance staff.
He said that while these proposals were attractive to groups of workers, the outsourcing of highly skilled editorial jobs was 'clearly unacceptable'. Mr Dooley said the union now expected management to accept the outcome of the ballot.
The company said it was 'disappointed' with the outcome. Declan Carlyle, HR director of Independent Newspapers in Ireland, said 'a significant number' of staff had already accepted the company's terms.
'Over the coming days the company will make known its position regarding the outcome of the NUJ ballot on its editorial plan,' he added.
