Unite ballots Trinity Mirror Group members on pay
4th August 2009
Unite, the UK’s largest union, is in the process of balloting
its members across the Trinity Mirror Group over the company’s
unilateral decision to freeze pay for 2009, in spite of the company
making a profit.
1,093 Unite members working in 12 different sites across
England, Scotland and Wales will be balloted on whether they are
prepared to take strike action in the pursuit of a wage agreement
for 2009.
Trinity Mirror Group is the biggest single publisher of regional
newspapers within the UK and also the publisher of the Daily Mirror
and Daily Record. Most of the sites affected are the print centres
for the Mirror, but all other sites, particularly Canary Wharf will
also be balloted.
Steve Sibbald, Unite national officer, said of the pending
ballot: “The decision to hold the ballot came out of consultations
with union officials and all reps from across the group after the
company’s chief executive officer, Sly Bailey, sent a letter to
each employee of Trinity Mirror unilaterally imposing a wage freeze
for 2009.
“This was in spite of the fact that Unite holds recognition
agreements and collective bargaining rights with the company, and
union reps at all levels at no time were consulted over the freeze.
The latest figures from the company’s accounts show that it has,
once again, made a profit. As a result of this their share price
has rocketed, which will be good news for their board and their
executives - who no doubt will look forward to paying themselves
big bonuses at some point in the future.
“Meanwhile, our members and the majority of their colleagues
have wage freezes imposed on them.”
ENDS
For further information please contact Steve Sibbald on 07860
538537 or Ashraf Choudhury in the Unite Press Office on 020 7420
8914 or 07980 224761
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