Independent to make compulsory redundancies

Independent News & Media is to make about 20 compulsory redundancies, according to a report.

The Independent plans to make 60 journalists redundant out of a total of 90 job losses, and will impose compulsory redundancies if not enough volunteers come forward, said MediaGuardian.co.uk.

Just last week, the National Union of Journalists suspended industrial action at the paper, which it had called over the threat of compulsory redundancies.

According to the Guardian report, management at the Independent is using a points system to divide journalists into “pools” based on their skills and experience.

It is understood that the Independent wants to complete the process of job cuts before it moves to Associated Newspapers’ headquarters in Derry Street, Kensington, west London, over the weekend of 4 and 5 April.

The latest ABC figures, for February 2008 show that the Independent‘s circulation was down by around 18.5% year on year, leaving its circulation at under 206,000 copies (see ABC National Newspaper Round-Up: February 2009).

This latest round of redundancies follows the news earlier this week that up to 300 jobs are likely to be cut at regional publishing groups MEN Media and Observer Standard Media Group (see Regional publishers to cut up to 300 jobs).