GANNETT NEWSQUEST LANCASHIRE AND THE INDUSTRIAL DISPUTE AT THE BURY TIMES AND BOLTON EVENING NEWS

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That this House notes that Gannett, the US parent company of Newsquest Lancashire, recently announced global profits for 2002 of 1.1 billion dollars; further notes that Newsquest Lancashire has announced pre-tax profits for 2001 of £5.3 million, including a reduction in staffing costs of £507,000; regrets that starting salaries for graduate trainee journalists at the Bury Times and Bolton Evening News range from only £10,800 to £12,000 and for senior journalists from £14,000 to £15,390; believes that these are among the lowest in the United Kingdom; and calls on the management of Newsquest Lancashire to engage in constructive dialogue and further negotiations with the National Union of Journalists to achieve an improvement on the current 2 per cent. pay offer.