Journalists at the Observer will ballot for industrial action in the event of any compulsory redundancies, the chapel has pledged.

Joint father of the newly-merged Guardian and Observer chapel, Brian Williams, told tonight’s hugely-successful Stand Up for the Observer public meeting that NUJ members would fight to save jobs at the world’s oldest Sunday newspaper.

More than 200 people packed a room at Friends Meeting House in Kings Cross, London, for the event jointly organised by NUJ members and Press Gazette.

Journalists including Henry Porter, John Humphrys and Francis Wheen were among the audience at the meeting, chaired by comedian David Mitchell and addressed by NUJ deputy general secretary Michelle Stanistreet and Press Gazette editor Dominic Ponsford.

Observer contributors past and present Katharine Whitehorn, Philip French, Barry Norman and Victoria Coren also spoke passionately and humourously about their involvement with the paper and the need to preserve its identity and editorial independence.

Katharine Whitehorn said the paper was one of the first to give women “a real voice” to write as themselves and it must not be allowed to change beyond recognition.

The Guardian Media Group announced last week the title would not close, despite speculation, but uncertainty still hangs over the viability of the paper and staff are seriously concerned about their jobs.

Many of the contributors, including David Mitchell in his opening address, said the plans run contrary to GMG’s sole shareholder the Scott Trust’s founding principles of liberalism and public service.

Brian said: “Most of us who work on the paper consider ourselves liberal. But we are not liberal when it comes to compulsory redundancies, and any notice of these will trigger an automatic ballot for industrial action.”

Michelle praised chapel members for the high profile campaign they have run so far and confirmed they have the full support of the union.

“It’s vital that the newspaper remains viable,” she said. “If it is to survive for another 218 years it needs proper resources, and needs to maintain its talented pool of journalists and keep its distinctive voice.”

Dominic pointed out that the Observer is still a “fantastically successful newspaper” that has put on sales in the last nine years while its competitors’ circulations have dropped.

He welcomed the news that GMG management had committed to continue to produce the Observer, but added: “The message needs to go out from this meeting that it must be robust and independent.”

Mike Pike, FoC of the Guardian News and Media Unite chapel that represents non-journalists, read out a message of support from his chapel and said the first battle had been won, “but not the war”.

This is right. The chapel has run an excellent campaign, attracting high level backing, and tonight’s meeting was a visible expression of that.

But clearly the battle for the Observer is not over and we will need to build on this and continue to support NUJ and Unite members to protect jobs and journalism.

Posted by Rich Simcox

Tags: Guardian, journalism, Michelle Stanistreet, National Union of Journalists, Observer, Press Gazette, Scott Trust