Herald urged to help chart way through crisis for the media

Enterprise Minister Jim Mather last night called on the management of The Herald to join a forum of all Scottish media outlets to chart the best way through the current economic crisis following an impassioned Holyrood debate.

MSPs were highly critical of the way Newsquest, owner of The Herald, Sunday Herald and Evening Times, has responded to the current downturn by warning the titles' journalists that they are at risk of redundancy and inviting them to apply for a smaller number of jobs on revised conditions.

Mr Mather said he could not intervene directly in an industrial dispute but indicated a desire to meet management, adding: "Unfortunately the current approach is legal, although it sits very uncomfortably with Scottish values, Scottish standards and aspirations for industrial cohesion in a challenging time. I'm sure that in their heart of hearts local management of Newsquest knows that these drastic actions play badly."

The Enterprise Minister called on the Scottish Daily Newspaper Society to get together under current president Tim Blott, managing director of the Herald and Times Group, to chart a new way forward for the media in Scotland.

The debate in the Scottish Parliament saw some of the most impassioned exchanges ever held in the member's debate slot and MSPs voted to extend it last night to allow further contributions.

Glasgow MSP Sandra White, who called the debate, criticised "the draconian antics of management", which she claimed would "undoubtedly result in worse pay and conditions for the staff".

She said this was "clearly unacceptable" as the Newsquest group of which the three papers are part had made pre-tax profits of more than £23m in 2007. She urged executives at Gannett - Newsquest's American parent company - to reconsider the changes.

She added: "Whilst it seems that Gannett have paid little or no attention to the workforce or politicians on this matter, I would hope as a successful business they would pause, consider their future business prospects and re-evaluate this whole process."

Ms White said: "It may seem strange to hear politicians here today standing up for the press. We don't always agree with them but I believe all of us truly value a vibrant and diverse press, even if they don't always write what we would like, and that is actually the way it should be."

Former journalist David Whitton, Labour MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, said: "I am astounded by what's happening at the Herald and Times.

"It reminds me of my experience when I was employed by the Daily Record almost 20 years ago when the late Robert Maxwell tried to introduce changes there."

Bill Kidd, SNP MSP for Glasgow, said: "The legality of making workers apply for their own jobs is dubious. The morality is simply contemptuous. The suggestion that editorial staff at these three nationally-important newspapers should float between titles, having a lesser status than at present and with correspondingly poorer wages and conditions, will inevitably result in a lessening of the quality of the newspapers."

SNP MSP Christine Grahame accused Newsquest of failing to negotiate with the unions, adding: "This should not be done in this bludgeoning fashion."

But Tory MSP and former journalist Ted Brocklebank warned of a bigger picture and an industry under threat, telling MSPs: "Journalists who pontificated about so-called Luddite print unions see an army of unpaid bloggers threatening their own livelihoods.

"The Herald group has been caught up in a tsunami that is sweeping through the newspaper industry worldwide."

He added: "It is no secret that every Scottish newspaper publisher is seeking to cut costs. Sadly, that is going to mean job losses - and eventually, the probable loss of Scottish newspaper titles."

The former broadcaster said newspapers faced a "perfect storm" of falling circulations and advertising revenues, and newspaper share prices were like "a glimpse into Armageddon".

Labour's Pauline McNeill criticised management in the dispute, saying: "This kind of behaviour is not the behaviour we expect from Scottish-based companies. Sacking your workforce to create an atmosphere of change by fear is wrong and we should say so."

Green MSP Patrick Harvie claimed MSPs would feel ashamed if parliamentary colleagues treated their own staff in such a manner.

The Glasgow MSP, said: "If you learned that your own colleagues were reducing working conditions on sick pay, on hours, on shift patterns, cutting key posts and redefining others, leading to increased stress among the remaining employees, I think we would be ashamed of colleagues who we thought were treating the employees like that."