Journalists at the Guardian and the Observer are on Thursday beginning a second 48-hour strike in protest at the proposed sale of the Observer newspaper to Tortoise Media, which was agreed in principle last week.
The industrial action follows a similar two-day strike last week, which was the first at the Guardian in more than 50 years. The new 48-hour strike is due to take place on Thursday 12 December and Friday 13 December.
National Union of Journalists (NUJ) members passed a motion in November stating that selling the Sunday newspaper to Tortoise would be a “betrayal” of the Scott Trust’s commitment to the Observer. The trust is the ultimate owner of Guardian Media Group.
Last Friday it was announced that a deal to sell the Observer, the world’s oldest Sunday newspaper, to Tortoise Media, had been agreed in principle. It will result in £25m of new investment in the Observer, with a commitment to print on a Sunday and a plan to build it into a digital brand.
As part of the deal, the Scott Trust said it would take a stake in Tortoise and take a seat on both the editorial and commercial boards of the media company.
On its website, the NUJ said: “The National Union of Journalists and its members at the Guardian and Observer believe the plans are disastrous for the Observer, will damage the reputation of the Guardian and will seriously impact the working conditions for staff on both titles.”
The ballot for strike action last month showed that of those eligible to participate, 75% cast a vote, with 93% supporting industrial action.
The strike means that readers may notice some differences to the Guardian’s website on Thursday and Friday and in the print edition on Friday and Saturday.
Due to deadlines, some of the stories that appear on the website and in the newspaper on those days will not have been written on the day in question. In other cases, anonymous bylines may be used. Guardian US and Guardian Australia staff are not part of the strike action.
Observer staff have been told there will be no job losses as a result of the deal. Observer staff have been told they can also opt to take voluntary redundancy on enhanced terms. If they transfer to Tortoise, their existing terms and conditions will be honoured.
Tortoise is run by James Harding, the former editor of the Times and former director of BBC News. It has put forward plans to continue publishing the Observer on a Sunday and build the title’s digital presence. It would combine the Observer with Tortoise’s podcasts, newsletters and live events.
A Guardian spokesperson said: “We respect the right of NUJ members to strike and have initiated a plan to minimise the impact on staff and readers, continuing to publish online and in print. We recognise the strength of feeling towards the sale of the Observer.
“Our priority has always been to ensure the title’s journalism continues to have a leading role in the liberal media landscape and are certain this decision is right to give the Observer a sustainable future.”
