Examiner journalists plan further industrial action

Journalists working at the Examiner group's flagship titles are planning further industrial action later this week after firing an initial shot across management's bows yesterday, writes Barry O'Halloran

The 180 staff at the Irish Examiner and Evening Echo newspapers held two-hour mandatory meetings at the group's Cork and Dublin offices yesterday. It was not clear last night if the meeting would result in any disruption of today's publication.

The staff are seeking 8 per cent annual pay rises over three years, backdated to January 2003. They also want the deal to bring staff on a lower pay scale introduced in 1995 in line with their longer-serving colleagues.

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) last night issued a statement saying that the chapel (branch) intended to continue with its limited industrial action.

"The chapel has agreed to hold a two-hour mandatory meeting on Friday, December 19th, in order to allow sufficient time for the company to elaborate on proposals on entry-level pay," it said.

"This proposal was made by the company in the protective notice issued to all staff at the weekend."

It is understood that Friday's meeting will target the Evening Echo, which was unaffected by yesterday's action, as it took place in the afternoon, after the paper went to print.

The chapel recently voted overwhelmingly in favour of all industrial action, up to and including strike. The company has offered a 3 per cent rise for one year, and 4 per cent annually for the succeeding two years. It made a similar deal with other unions in the group recently. It did not issue any statement last night.