Members of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) working at the Irish Examiner and Evening Echo newspapers will go ahead with a two-hour mandatory meeting this afternoon after being served with protective notice over the weekend.
The NUJ reacted angrily yesterday to the decision of Thomas Crosbie Holdings to warn staff at both papers that their contracts will be on a day-to-day basis from today if they persisted with industrial action. The union said the company has taken on the mantle of Scrooge in the run-up to Christmas.
Editorial staff met last week to discuss their options following an overwhelming vote in favour of industrial action against Thomas Crosbie Holdings, as a result of a dispute over their pay claim.
While the company claimed the meeting today would disrupt the production of the paper, staff insisted that such action is mild and would not affect output in any way.
In a letter to staff the company said it hoped lay-offs would not be necessary.
NUJ Irish organiser Mr Des Fagan condemned the actions of the company and said it would have been better if it had put realistic proposals to the union.
The manner in which notice was served upon staff - by way of taxi late on Friday night and Saturday morning - was also condemned. According to employees, some families were woken up at 4 a.m. by the sound of footsteps on the path.
By the time people reached their front doors, the letters had been delivered, they said.
"We have made every effort to reach agreement with this company, which has at every turn refused to engage in meaningful negotiations and is instead recycling unacceptable proposals," Mr Fagan said.
"A profit-share scheme linked to unacceptably low pay increases will not address low pay at the Examiner and Echo.
"The Irish Examiner," he added, "which is a national newspaper title, could not expect to be allowed to pay the majority of their journalists salaries that are well below the average industrial wage and in some cases as low as €20,000 per annum.
"They should now reward properly the people who contributed to their success and stop behaving in a manner more likened to Ebenezer Scrooge."
Mr Fagan said the NUJ remained committed to finding an equitable solution to the dispute and engaged in talks before the Labour Relations Commission last week.
"However, the company must demonstrate a willingness to enter into real negotiations and put forward proposals that will end this dispute."