The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) is to cut staff costs by £400,000 through pay cuts and redundancies, as well as restructure its pension scheme, which is facing a deficit between £500,000 and £4 million.
The plans were reported in a leaked document from the union’s National Executive Committee, which decided on 25 May a strategy involving cuts across all areas of union expenditure, including provision for staff redundancies, in order to meet problems being caused by a fall in union income, rising costs and the challenging economic environment.
The NUJ said the final decision on the cost-savingsprogramme would be reached later in 2012.
Michelle Stanistreet, general secretary at the NUJ, said: “This is not the first time the NUJ has had to take decisive action to deal with financial difficulties.
“Previous solutions to falling income, resulting from a fall in employment in our industries, have sustained us until now.
“But we are conscious that if we are to plan responsibly for the future of the union, and the members whom we serve, we need a comprehensive strategy, which involves managing expenditure and practising good housekeeping while continuing to provide the service to NUJ members that they are entitled to expect.”
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