News International last night gave Fleet Street print unions six months' notice that their agreements are to be terminated.
The company, which is attempting to negotiate a deal to launch The London Post from a plant at Wapping, east London, has exempted from the ultimation of the National Union of Journalists.
The decision applies to The Times, The Sunday Times, The Sun and News of the World and comes after the direct intervention of Mr Rupert Murdoch, chairman of News International, who last night chaired a meeting of his industrial relations executive in London.
The National Graphical Association, Sogat '82 and the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers have refused to accept proposals for the Post which are based on a legally backed no-strike deal. The Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunication and Plumbing Union, whose national leadership has accepted the principles on offer, is included in the notice of termination of agreements.
A company spokesman said that the measures were necessary because the development of the company's business was 'well-nigh impossible. We find ourselves hog-tied by impossible demands. We are faced with a situation where we cannot secure the organization's future.'
He said that the NUJ had been exempted from the strategy because it had behaved 'constitutionally'.
The NGA, Sogat '82 and the AUEW have recently added a 'jobs for life' claim to their annual submission which management regards as an attempt to bring pressure to bear over the Post. Sogat '82 and the NGA are to hold ballots on industrial action next week and see last night's statement as an attempt to influence the outcome.
Mr Alf Parrish, NGA national officer for Fleet Street, said that his union had not acted unconstitutionally.
A spokesman for the National Union of Journalists said that he was concerned that the company appeared to be moving towards confrontation rather than negotiation. There was no logical reason why management had exempted journalists from the decision to end agreements other than the fact that unlike production unions their agreement did not end this month.
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The company, which is attempting to negotiate a deal to launch The London Post from a plant at Wapping, east London, has exempted from the ultimation of the National Union of Journalists.
The decision applies to The Times, The Sunday Times, The Sun and News of the World and comes after the direct intervention of Mr Rupert Murdoch, chairman of News International, who last night chaired a meeting of his industrial relations executive in London.
The National Graphical Association, Sogat '82 and the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers have refused to accept proposals for the Post which are based on a legally backed no-strike deal. The Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunication and Plumbing Union, whose national leadership has accepted the principles on offer, is included in the notice of termination of agreements.
A company spokesman said that the measures were necessary because the development of the company's business was 'well-nigh impossible. We find ourselves hog-tied by impossible demands. We are faced with a situation where we cannot secure the organization's future.'
He said that the NUJ had been exempted from the strategy because it had behaved 'constitutionally'.
The NGA, Sogat '82 and the AUEW have recently added a 'jobs for life' claim to their annual submission which management regards as an attempt to bring pressure to bear over the Post. Sogat '82 and the NGA are to hold ballots on industrial action next week and see last night's statement as an attempt to influence the outcome.
Mr Alf Parrish, NGA national officer for Fleet Street, said that his union had not acted unconstitutionally.
A spokesman for the National Union of Journalists said that he was concerned that the company appeared to be moving towards confrontation rather than negotiation. There was no logical reason why management had exempted journalists from the decision to end agreements other than the fact that unlike production unions their agreement did not end this month.
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