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More than 100 jobs at risk as printing works face closure

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Published Date: 03 October 2009
By SUE GYFORD
MORE than 100 jobs could be lost in the Capital after newspaper publisher Johnston Press announced proposals to close its printing plant in Newhaven.
The change would see 97 jobs cut at the printing plant's operating company, Caledonian Offset Limited, with a further nine roles lost at The Scotsman Publications' loading bay. Its delivery drivers would be transferred to the John Menzies' distribu
tion site at Newbridge.

The firm, which publishes the Edinburgh Evening News, plans to outsource printing of the paper to News International's Eurocentral facility from early November. The firm's other Edinburgh-based papers, The Scotsman and Scotland on Sunday, would be printed by Trinity Mirror at its presses in Cardonald. Other Johnston Press printing would be transferred to the company's own plant in Sunderland.

Divisional managing director Michael Johnston said: "Implementation of this proposal would reduce production costs and risks associated with the ageing COL press and will provide improved quality and flexibility."

He added: "Consultation with affected staff and their representatives is underway to identify ways of avoiding redundancies and mitigating the impact of this proposal. Every effort will be made to minimise redundancies via redeployment and voluntary redundancy.

"A further announcement will be made in due course following consultation with staff and their representatives."

When the £6 million printing plant opened in 1990, it was hailed as one of the most modern newspaper production centres in Europe.

The proposed closure follows editorial mergers at The Scotsman and Scotland on Sunday.

Tom Little, editor of the Evening News, said that if the proposals went ahead the newspaper would be printed on one of the best presses in Europe, with full colour every day for the first time.

He added: "If this consultation leads to job losses it will be a sad day for everyone involved. But whatever happens the News will remain an Edinburgh paper, with articles about Edinburgh, produced in Edinburgh by Edinburgh staff. This newspaper is at the heart of this great city, and it will stay right here."

Union representatives were not available for comment.



Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 03 October 2009 11:24 AM
  • Source: Edinburgh Evening News
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Johnston Press
 
1

Vivas,

Edinburgh 03/10/2009 12:11:48
Its the wrong staff who are taking the bullet. The Northbrit/EEN has lost the attention of its readership because of complacency, political bias, poor editorial judgement and low journalistic standards.

I feel sorry for the workers but it seems entirely appropriate that the newspaper should abandon Scotland in this way. Because in reality, it abandoned its readership years ago.
2

alfonsa pedrosa,

embra 03/10/2009 12:38:16
I feel sorry for the workers,but the EEN should never leave Edinburgh.
3

Bob Wilson,

Anchor Man 03/10/2009 13:06:01
Agree with #1, I am Edinburgh born and bred but have no allegiance nowadays to the Scotsman / EEN due to its poor journalistic content and pitiful layout.
I started buying the Herald / Sunday Herald 10 years ago simply because its streets ahead of the Scotsman in every department, therefore I'm not surprised it's losing readership and losing business.
#2, perhaps the EEN would have a better chance of survival if the likes of you actually went out and bought it rather than spending all your waking hours reading it online and adding your comments to every story it contains...
4

Aman,

Edinburgh 03/10/2009 14:27:13
Does the EEN really matter ?
5

inExile,

in the conservatory at the momment 03/10/2009 14:30:24
I worked at the plant in the late ninties, hard work it was!

Could we arrange a campaign to eliminate the Alfredo gezzer, what an iratating git! Bloody sweetie wifie....
6

Boy Wonder,

03/10/2009 15:43:20
Tomorrow's chip paper!
7

jambtastic,

03/10/2009 16:00:35
Tom Little the editoe of the EEN states ''The News will remain an Edinburgh paper produced in Edinburgh by Edinburgh staff . This newspaper is at the heart of this great city and it will stay right there '' What planet is he on , who in their right mind from Edinburgh will want to buy their titles now or even want to advertise in them . Get real and wake up and smell the coffee Little , who are you trying to kid ?
Johnston Press has ripped C.O.L to shrewds for a company who rakes in many millions of profit a year which is obviously not enough for the fat cats at the top end of the table . An Edinburgh institution is being destroyed and for it's people to go out and buy their papers just isn't going to happen .
Bring back the Barclay Brothers .
8

,

03/10/2009 17:43:42
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
9

gus1940,

Edinburgh 03/10/2009 18:34:16
#8

The Barclay Brothers and Andrew 'Brillo Pad' Neil started the rot which is neasly complete under JP.

It was a black day when Thomson Organisation sold up.
10

Douglas,

Bathgate 03/10/2009 19:26:56
"A soul less society is the way we are heading."

Not while we've got Transistor Boogie with Graham Jackson on Forth2. :o)
11

Ecto,

05/10/2009 11:01:52
That's it I will no longer be buying the Hootsman or the Hootsman on Sunday. What's the point might as well buy the Times least you get value for money and decent journalism. No point in buying an Edinburgh paper produced in the Weedge.
12

gary riley,

edinburgh 08/10/2009 20:54:53
i used to work at the north bridge when the printing was still being done there, although not for long as they soon moved it all to newhaven. for 4yrs i worked there until they computerized mine and others jobs. i worked in the caseroom. then when we all got paid off i eventually managed to get a job at newhaven road, which i did for awhile but because of unsociable hours and a bad back i had to leave i never stayed in edinburgh and had to travel between 10 and 15 miles every night to get home. i liked both my jobs they were very interesting. in the case room i used to build up the pages from a plan sent down from the journalist. It wasnt until i left i realised that my work was read and analyzed by presidents prime ministers terrorists ordinary people and sometimes murderers like robert black. when he got caught and we did the 8 page pull out, i was working on the pages and fordyce maxwell,,, was checking all was well with the work (as he is susan maxwells step dad) to be doing a job like that of such importance made feel what was really important in this world. those days really changed my outlook on life even until this day. there were more important stories during my time but this is one no one would forget. Well there was the bomb scare as well well got gathered up and told that we could leave or stay ??? yeah stay, but some did. where i and some others who werent feeling lucky punk went to some of the local bars in the area and drank away our fears of a possible explosion. well thats tuppence worth. i am now unemployed due to a disability and i am now singer songwriter my songs are at www.myspace.com/iamtheghostboy i hope everyone who loses thier jobs get new ones quickly as i know first hand how hard it is to work hard for years and then have to attend a job centre where they have no idea about what the client requires/wants anyway good luck guys i shall leave you with this as long as a hundred of us remain we will never be subject to english rule ....... T

 

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