Journalists working for Newsquest in Brighton and Southampton struck for 48 hours on 7 and 8 December in separate disputes with the local newspaper group.
For the Brighton journalists, members of the NUJ, it was their second round of action in a fight over plans by management to move subediting to Southampton.
They are being supported by their colleagues in Southampton, who were striking against a pay freeze and management’s refusal to pay personal bonuses.
On 8 December the journalists from the Southampton Daily Echo sang carols in the city centre as they handed out leaflets to the public.
Meanwhile, action is looming all over Newsquest. The NUJ reports that members at Blackburn, Bradford, Bolton and York have also voted to strike. And the Warrington chapel (office branch) voted on 8 December to ballot for action over the ongoing pay freeze.
Also part of the Newsquest group, journalists at the Glasgow Herald, Sunday Herald and Evening Times have voted unanimously to ballot for industrial action against compulsory redundancies.
Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ Deputy General Secretary, said: “Newsquest and their American owners have been relentless in their pursuit of higher profits at the expense of quality journalism, and their staff have simply had enough. The growing anger amongst journalists throughout the group and their determination to bring the company to the negotiating table is clear.”
Newsquest’s latest profits totalled £88 million.