Profit gluttons rampant

There was hint that it was the economic situation is pushing the Argus to dump 21 of their loyal workers.

Balderdash! Gannett’s revenues in the most recent published year rose to a record $8.02 billion – up a healthy 5.7% on the previous year. The Chief Executive says, "These results are among the best in the business".

Local ad revenue was up 5% as a whole - it rose both in the UK and US. Newsquest’s profits leapt from £91, million to £102 million.Plenty of slack there to provide a reasonable redundancy package for their workers.

Details are thin at the moment, but I hear that one worker is being offered a miserable £7,000 after 15 years service. His wage is just over twice that. Relocation and relocation expenses are vague and uncertain. The pension has already been devalued.

Workers are looking for a package similar to those other Newport workers had in similar circumstances in the past – principally Corus. That closure was a mistake; Weeks after the coke ovens were bull-dozed the UK was importing coke at top dollar from China.

In that case the company behaved reasonably and responsibly. They did all that they could to soften the blow. That’s the difference between a British –Dutch company with a conscience and a Welsh branch factory of a cut-throat avaricious bunch of American profits gluttons.

Assault

Fascinating that the Western Mail today has a deranged main headline on Gordon Brown’s ‘assault’ on workers. To sane people that’s his guaranteeing pay rises over three years. They report the Argus jobs theft without a whisper of criticism even though the Argus is guilty of assault, battery, robbery and insult.

Hero Hain

The Daily Express asked for a quote from a ‘Welsh MP’ on the Peter Hain ‘scandal’. I disappointed her. My comment was a long satisfying yawn.

Peter Hain was warmly praised by Welsh MPs today for his battle to settle the ASW pension’s shortfall which was wonderful justice for a group of low paid workers let down by their company. Even the Tory spokesman yesterday acknowledged Peter’s major role in achieving the golden deal.

Peter was also praised for getting renewables on to the dire energy policy that will be announced tomorrow. I am implacably opposed to wasting more £billions on the blind alley of nuclear folly. I suspect Peter is also very sceptical about tomorrow’s statement. He has elevated the Severn Barrage to be a serious bidder for big investment.

I asked the Express journalists if the space her paper was devoting to Peter’s problems were the same as they gave to the more serious scandals of Cameron-gate, Plaid- gate, Ashcroft-gate, Michael Brown-gate and Laid law-gate. She thought not. I declined to add to my ‘yawn’.

Comments

[paulflynn]

It is incredible. My friend Gordon Prentice has been demanded answers about about Lord Ashcroft. Is he living here and paying taxes? Gordon asked Gus O'Donell the head of the Civil Service for the facts at a select committee. He promised to write. He has not. That was six weeks ago. Gordon has asked Gordon Brown to 'order' him to answer the question.

There are a dozen other real scandals involving opposition Parties. Now that Perter Hain is not going to sack himself, perhaps they will find something useful to do and probe, Ashcroft, Laidlaw, Michael Brown, the foreign donor to David Cameron's party et al.

[Chris Gale]

Ashcroft is pumping his millions into marginal seats and yet not a peep out of the right wing press of course!