A PICTURE of intensive work regimes has emerged from a survey of staff at two of Scotland’s leading newspaper publishers.
It follows a stress survey having been conducted by the National Union of Journalists at both Johnston Press (Scotland) and Scottish Provincial Press.
At Johnston Press – which publishes, among others, The Scotsman and the Falkirk Herald – there was a 54 per cent response among NUJ members. Meanwhile, at Scottish Provincial Press – which publishes, among others, the Highland News and the John O’Groat Journal – there was a 76 per cent one.
At both groups, staff declare, in the majority, a high workload.
The NUJ assistant organiser in Scotland, Dominic Bascombe, is quoted on HoldtheFrontPage website, as saying of the survey results: “We have got journalists who know the job and know what they have to do but they are facing these pressures and are having to work faster and very intensively.
“People feel that things are changing but they are not being consulted or being part of that.”
The website – which says it is still awaiting a response from Johnston Press – also quotes David Bourn, editorial director at SPP, as saying: “At [a] meeting [with] the NUJ, [it] acknowledged that there was no long-hours culture at SPP, we are the only media group in Scotland not to have made any journalists redundant during the recession and the only media group in Scotland to have consistently paid annual salary increases.”
A similar survey is being conducted now at Clyde and Forth Press, with BBC Scotland Newsquest Glasgow in the pipeline.
The Johnston Press findings included the following:
I am subject to personal harassment in the form of unkind words or behaviour
Never 41.7 per cent
Seldom 30.6 per cent
Sometimes 13.9 per cent
Often 13.9 per cent
Always zero per cent
I have unachievable deadlines
Never 8.3 per cent
Seldom 36.1 per cent
Sometimes 30.6 per cent
Often 22.2 per cent
Always 2.8 per cent
I have to work very intensively
Never zero per cent
Seldom zero per cent
Sometimes 19.4 per cent
Often 55.6 per cent
Always 25.0 per cent
I am pressured to work long hours
Never 14.3 per cent
Seldom 17.1 per cent
Sometimes 34.3 per cent
Often 25.7 per cent
Always 8.6 per cent
Do you have difficulty coping with your current workload?
Yes 58.8 per cent
No 41.2 per cent
The Scottish Provincial Press findings included the following:
I am subject to personal harassment in the form of unkind words or behaviour
Never 53.8 per cent
Seldom 30.8 per cent
Sometimes 11.5 per cent
Often zero per cent
Always 3.8 per cent
I have unachievable deadlines
Never 3.8 per cent
Seldom 38.5 per cent
Sometimes 42.3 per cent
Often 11.5 per cent
Always 3.8 per cent
I have to work very intensively
Never zero per cent
Seldom zero per cent
Sometimes zero per cent
Often 46.2 per cent
Always 53.8 per cent
I have to neglect some tasks because I have too much to do
Never zero per cent
Seldom 3.8 per cent
Sometimes 57.7 per cent
Often 15.4 per cent
Always 23.1 per cent
I am pressured to work long hours
Never 15.4 per cent
Seldom 11.5 per cent
Sometimes 42.3 per cent
Often 15.4 per cent
Always 15.4 per cent
Staff are always consulted about change at work
Strongly disagree 34.6 per cent
Disagree 38.5 per cent
Neutral 11.5 per cent
Agree 15.4 per cent
Strongly agree zero per cent
