Union: News Limited redundancy numbers are a mystery

Tim Burrowes

June 20, 2012 4:07

The level of redundancies at News Limited remains “a mystery” despite today’s announcement by CEO Kim Williams, journalists’ union the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance has warned.

However, the union welcomed the company’s signal that it appears to be more committed to the print medium than Fairfax Media which this week announced its plans to close two press sites.

In a statement, the union said: “Today’s News Limited announcement of a restructure of the business with an ongoing commitment to print and digital products has been welcomed by the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance. However, because the depth and extent of its planned redundancies during the restructure remain a mystery, this will continue to concern staff operating in a volatile and uncertain environment.”

While Fairfax Media – obliged to offer a higher level of transparency because of its listing on the ASX – revealed that it plans 1,900 redundancies, Williams has declined to give a number, although some speculation has put it close to Fairfax’s numbers.

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Tim Burrowes

I write about the world's media and marketing industry from an Australian perspective Australian lens. I've worked in the UK, Middle East, Asia & Australia. I founded Mumbrella, which we sold in 2017.