The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Journalists go on strike in pay row
Journalists at STV have gone on strike after a ballot showed overwhelming support for industrial action.
The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has been embroiled in a pay dispute with the broadcaster and strike action saw newsrooms emptied across Scotland after pay talks broke down.
The strike extended to journalists in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness as well as STV’S Dundee office.
The NUJ is seeking a 6% pay rise for members and cited record profits and the cost-of-living crisis in their request.
National organiser Nick Mcgowan-lowe said: “Journalists at STV have not just been reporting on the cost-of-living crisis – they’ve been experiencing it too.
“Our members across Scotland produce the award-winning journalism that is the flagship of the STV brand and are only asking for their pay to keep inflation.
“Simon Pitts, STV chief executive, was paid over £900,000 from the company last year – and only a small fraction of that would settle this dispute.
“He and the STV board needs to listen to members and come back to the table with a fair offer.”
Despite a record revenue of more than £168 million and profits of more than £20m in 2023, the broadcaster called the NUJ’S pay demands track with
“unrealistic unaffordable”.
STV’S full statement reads: “We’ve continued to engage with the NUJ with the aim of finding resolution and we remain open to further dialogue, but their claim for an above inflation pay increase of 6% is unrealistic and unaffordable. and
“In this current economic climate, the offer made is both fair and financially responsible and is already being paid to over 85% of our colleagues across the rest of the business, including news colleagues in the Bectu union who voted to accept the award.
“Our enhanced offer of this week, which included confirmation of a bonus for all STV employees – as we won’t agree a separate deal for NUJ members – was rejected by the NUJ.
“Contingency plans are in place.”
STV also said that 95% of programming was unaffected by the industrial action.