NUJ questions timing of Trinity Mirror deals site launch

The National Union of Journalists has criticised Trinity Mirror's decision to spend £10 million on launching a daily deals website at the same time as unveiling £15 million in cost cuts elsewhere in the business.

In its end-of-year results this morning, the Mirror publisher said Happli.co.uk would be rolled out to 50 cities by 2014, following trials in Newcastle and Manchester.

The group also announced "significant steps" to reduce costs by a further £15 million this year, on top of the £120 million in cost savings already achieved in the past four years.

NUJ northern and Midlands organiser Chris Morley said in a release: "On the one hand, Trinity Mirror seems content to again slash deeply into its core business, newspapers, and yet be willing to spend £10 million in the blink of an eye on the new business fad of 'daily deals'.

"As a strategy, the NUJ is clear that the core business cannot continue to be neglected and raided for massive cost cuts. Otherwise when the recovery does come, Trinity Mirror will be so weak it gets pushed aside by its competitors in its prime activity."

Union general secretary Michelle Stanistreet added: "Papers are thinner and editions fewer. The only good news has been some investment in websites on a number of the titles.

"That is why it is so depressing to see [chief executive Sly] Bailey's only strategy to improve the group's performance is to make even more cuts."

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