South Yorkshire strike journalists 'optimistic' about talks

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Journalists at South Yorkshire Newspapers say they are "cautiously optimistic" as talks get underway with Johnston Press management over proposed cuts. Last week members of the National Union of Journalists at the newspaper group voted to return to work after eight weeks on strike, to enable talks to begin. At the time union representatives said action would be suspended for a week, and the situation reassessed. Reporters at four titles within the Johnston Press company – the Doncaster Free Press, Epworth Bells, Selby Times and the South Yorkshire Times – started strike action in July after staff were told of 18 proposed job cuts in South Yorkshire and Humberside, the closure of the Goole Courier's office and the scrapping of the editor's role at both the Courier and South Yorkshire Times. Members of the National Union of Journalists today said they have cancelled a mandatory chapel meeting "as a gesture of goodwill", adding that they hope the company "will take the cancellation of today's action in the spirit of reconciliation in which it has been made". "We always wanted to negotiate with the company and made several offers to do so during the eight weeks we were out on strike," the chapel's spokesman said today. "Talks have begun and we are cautiously optimistic at the way they are progressing."