STV journalists to walk out after rejecting latest pay offer

Journalists at broadcaster STV are due to walk out on Wednesday after rejecting the company’s latest pay offer, a union official has said.

The strike coincides with the STV annual general meeting, and representatives of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC), and individual staff members will attend the meeting as shareholders to ask questions of the company board.

The action will also disrupt news programming, with the flagship STV News At Six due to be replaced by Sean’s Scotland, and network programme Peston due to be aired in place of Scotland Tonight.

Nick McGowan-Lowe, NUJ national organiser for Scotland, said: “While the company showed willingness to engage with us to find a resolution to this dispute, it is disappointing that once again our journalists are having to head out of the newsrooms and into the shareholder AGM to find out answers to resolve this dispute.

“While the company tells us that a fair rise of 6% to keep pace with inflation is unaffordable, they have no problem with paying shareholders a 7% bonus, or a vastly inflated wage for chief executive Simon Pitts. As shareholders, we will be asking the board why.

“A tiny fraction of Simon Pitts’ bonus would be enough to resolve this dispute for all 90 of the newsroom’s staff – and still leave him paid vastly more than the director-general of the BBC – an organisation that is over 45 times larger than STV.”

An STV spokesperson said: “We’re disappointed that following discussions and an enhanced offer being made, members of the NUJ have decided to proceed with strike action on May 1.

“We understand that almost half of NUJ members voted to accept the enhanced offer, which included a bonus payment for all STV staff.

“We remain open to further dialogue but the NUJ’s claim for an above-inflation pay increase of 6% – nearly twice the current level of inflation – is unrealistic and unaffordable.

“We have made clear that we will not agree a separate deal for NUJ members in excess of the award for all colleagues, and we maintain that our pay offer is both fair and financially responsible in the current economic climate.

“Alternative programming will be in place of news output.”

The broadcaster also denied that shareholder dividends had risen by 7%, insisting that dividends had remained flat in 2023.

This will be the second day of strike action in this dispute, following a walkout by STV journalists in March that saw a demonstration at the Scottish parliament attract cross-party support.

A further strike day in April was called off following last-minute talks between the two sides, but Wednesday’s walk-out comes after staff voted to reject the company’s latest pay offer.