UK
Journalists strike over proposed sale of Observer newspaper
Up to 600 NUJ union members struck on Wednesday and Thursday—and plan further action next week
On the picket line outside the Guardian and Observer HQ
By Arthur Townend
Thursday 05 December 2024
SOCIALIST WORKER Issue
The proposed sale of the Observer newspaper has triggered the first journalists’ strike at the Guardian in over 50 years. The Guardian Media Group (GMG) bought the Observer in 1993, but bosses now want to sell it to Tortoise Media.
Up to 600 workers struck on Wednesday and Thursday because the sale threatens the Observer’s existence—and journalists’ jobs.
NUJ union members picketing outside the Guardian and Observer headquarters in London. NUJ organiser Andy Smith told Socialist Worker, “Observer staff fully understood that they were covered by the protection of the Scott Trust—until they found out they weren’t.”
The Scott Trust owns the Guardian and the Observer and is supposed to secure their existence “in perpetuity”.
“Staff were simply told at a meeting that they were going to be sold. But the details of that sale have still not become transparent,” he said.
As part of the deal, Tortoise Media will invest £20 million into the Observer over the next three years. “But in corporate terms, that’s not a lot of money,” Andy said. “What has been demonstrated is that workers at the Observer are not loved within the Guardian.”
Andy said that this is “primarily about security of employment”. “People are incredibly doubtful about whether the Observer can work as a standalone title behind a paywall—and that of course goes back to the job security aspect,” he said.
But Andy said, “We’ve been told the Scott Trust isn’t willing to invest in the Observer. But Guardian senior management go to the Scott Trust to ask for investment into the things they want.”
On the picket line, one striker held a placard that read “Yatch’s going on?”. It pointed to the friendship between GMG boss Anna Bateson and Tortoise Media co-founder James Harding.
Their longstanding friendship has seen the pair gallivant around on a £15 million superyacht owned by multimillionaire Charles Dunstone. But Bateson did not declare her relationship with Harding.
“We want them to stop, that’s our primary task right now. We want them to put a meaningful break on this while we consider other options and get them to reconsider that the Guardian and Observer are better off together,” Andy said.
Guardian journalist Simon Hattenstone told Socialist Worker, “We’re here on the pickets to try and save the Observer. It’s solidarity with colleagues. It’s one big family, and lots of Observer journalists work for the Guardian, and lots of Guardian journalists work for the Observer.
“In this country, there is not so much so-called liberal journalism, and we think it’s really important to protect it. And we feel that management isn’t doing it—and the Trust that was set up to do it isn’t doing it so we have to.
“We’ve had a vote of no confidence in the Scott Trust, and that is because we feel that the deal that it’s proposing is nonsense. I don’t think you’ll find one article saying that this deal makes sense.”
The deal makes no sense, Simon explained, because the “Scott Trust is sitting on a £1.3 billion fund”. “Meanwhile, they’re proposing selling the Observer to an organisation which had a turnover of £6 million and managed to lose £4 million,” he said.
“Tortoise media has had some really good journalists, but it is not in a position to enhance us or protect us. We believe that the Observer will end up disappearing really soon if it goes to Tortoise.
“That’s beyond being a shame—in journalistic terms it’s a tragedy. If the great journalist Paul Foot was able to be here today, he’d be standing with us.”Strikes are set to continue on Wednesday and Thursday of next week, Kings Place, 90 York Way, N1 9GU
The proposed sale of the Observer newspaper has triggered the first journalists’ strike at the Guardian in over 50 years. The Guardian Media Group (GMG) bought the Observer in 1993, but bosses now want to sell it to Tortoise Media.
Up to 600 workers struck on Wednesday and Thursday because the sale threatens the Observer’s existence—and journalists’ jobs.
NUJ union members picketing outside the Guardian and Observer headquarters in London. NUJ organiser Andy Smith told Socialist Worker, “Observer staff fully understood that they were covered by the protection of the Scott Trust—until they found out they weren’t.”
The Scott Trust owns the Guardian and the Observer and is supposed to secure their existence “in perpetuity”.
“Staff were simply told at a meeting that they were going to be sold. But the details of that sale have still not become transparent,” he said.
As part of the deal, Tortoise Media will invest £20 million into the Observer over the next three years. “But in corporate terms, that’s not a lot of money,” Andy said. “What has been demonstrated is that workers at the Observer are not loved within the Guardian.”
Andy said that this is “primarily about security of employment”. “People are incredibly doubtful about whether the Observer can work as a standalone title behind a paywall—and that of course goes back to the job security aspect,” he said.
But Andy said, “We’ve been told the Scott Trust isn’t willing to invest in the Observer. But Guardian senior management go to the Scott Trust to ask for investment into the things they want.”
On the picket line, one striker held a placard that read “Yatch’s going on?”. It pointed to the friendship between GMG boss Anna Bateson and Tortoise Media co-founder James Harding.
Their longstanding friendship has seen the pair gallivant around on a £15 million superyacht owned by multimillionaire Charles Dunstone. But Bateson did not declare her relationship with Harding.
“We want them to stop, that’s our primary task right now. We want them to put a meaningful break on this while we consider other options and get them to reconsider that the Guardian and Observer are better off together,” Andy said.
Guardian journalist Simon Hattenstone told Socialist Worker, “We’re here on the pickets to try and save the Observer. It’s solidarity with colleagues. It’s one big family, and lots of Observer journalists work for the Guardian, and lots of Guardian journalists work for the Observer.
“In this country, there is not so much so-called liberal journalism, and we think it’s really important to protect it. And we feel that management isn’t doing it—and the Trust that was set up to do it isn’t doing it so we have to.
“We’ve had a vote of no confidence in the Scott Trust, and that is because we feel that the deal that it’s proposing is nonsense. I don’t think you’ll find one article saying that this deal makes sense.”
The deal makes no sense, Simon explained, because the “Scott Trust is sitting on a £1.3 billion fund”. “Meanwhile, they’re proposing selling the Observer to an organisation which had a turnover of £6 million and managed to lose £4 million,” he said.
“Tortoise media has had some really good journalists, but it is not in a position to enhance us or protect us. We believe that the Observer will end up disappearing really soon if it goes to Tortoise.
“That’s beyond being a shame—in journalistic terms it’s a tragedy. If the great journalist Paul Foot was able to be here today, he’d be standing with us.”Strikes are set to continue on Wednesday and Thursday of next week, Kings Place, 90 York Way, N1 9GU
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