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Guardian and Observer journalists have gone on a two-day strike to oppose the proposed sale of the Sunday newspaper to Tortoise Media. The strike is the first at the Guardian in over 50 years and is taking place on 4 and 5 December. Tortoise Media is led by the former editor of the Times and ex-director of BBC News, James Harding.
UK readers may experience variations on the Guardian’s daily website and print editions as a result of the strike. NUJ members passed a motion stating that selling the Observer to Tortoise would be a “betrayal” of the commitment made by the Scott Trust, the Guardian Media Group’s owners, to the world’s oldest Sunday newspaper.
Observer staff have been informed that they can accept voluntary redundancy on enhanced terms or transfer to Tortoise on the existing terms of their contracts if the sale goes through. Meanwhile, the managing director of GMG has confirmed that “constructive talks [around the sale] will continue” in order “to protect Observer staff if this deal progresses”. She also stated that freelance contracts would continue until September 2025 and then be renegotiated.
Ole Jacob Sunde, chair of the Scott Trust, reportedly told staff that the Trust would remain as part-owner of the Observer in the event of any sale. According to the Guardian, Sunde also stated that the new owners would need to “embody the values of editorial independence, press freedom, and liberal journalism”. NUJ general secretary-elect, Laura Davison, said that the striking journalists “have the full backing” of the union as they “undertake this significant industrial action”
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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