Eight editorial jobs are to go at Newsquest York, the National Union of Journalists has revealed.

The company is seeking redundancies among sub-editors and news, sports and feature reporters at daily title The Press and the weekly Gazette and Herald.

Photographers, admin staff and graphic designers have been told they are not included in the job cuts which amount to around a fifth of all editorial staff at the two titles.

The NUJ said there were also job losses at the Walmgate offices in the pre-press department and among drivers, cleaners and engineers.

This latest development comes after staff went on strike last month over an on-going pay dispute spanning nine months and follows on from job losses at The Press 16 months ago.

Sam Southgate, joint father of the NUJ chapel, said: "A vacant reporter's position will also not be filled which brings the total to nine.

"People are quite devastated really – it's a substantial proportion.

"It's not as if the work's not there, other people are just going to have to do it.

"Staff are worried about the future. They are determined to resist compulsory redundancies.

"We take pride in what we do and it's bound to put the future of the paper in jeopardy.

"It is not as if Newsquest York is not making money. They raked in a profit of £4.3 million last year."

The announcement was made yesterday, the same day that the NUJ entered talks with conciliation service ACAS over the pay dispute.

The company believes its offer of three per cent across the board with an extra 0.5 per cent available for discretionary payments is looking increasingly attractive.

Management had earlier expressed "astonishment" when the strike action was announced.

Newsquest York managing director Steve Hughes was unavailable for comment.

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