THE Scottish Press Awards, taking place tomorrow evening, are expected to have one notable absentee: representation from the Daily Record and Sunday Mail.
Journalists from the two papers in the running for an award are understood to be boycotting the ceremony. Says the National Union of Journalists, the reasons are two-fold, one being the current strike action taking place at the papers, over compulsory job cuts.
The other stretches back to a boycott call in December from the NUJ chapel at The Scotsman group of newspapers – which was then supported by other chapels – when entries were being called for. It was in support of colleagues at The Herald group of newspapers who themselves were facing job cuts. The Herald group’s editor-in-chief is Donald Martin, chair of the Press Awards’ organisers.
“The two reasons are tied together,” says NUJ Scottish Organiser, Paul Holleran.
NUJ members at the Daily Record and Sunday Mail embark on a three-day walkout from a minute after midnight on Friday morning. Hence, the small group of senior management left to put the papers out are expected to be also absent from the awards ceremony – as they will be otherwise engaged.
