Guardian and Observer journalists to strike over sale of the Observer

Union says sale of Sunday paper to Tortoise would be a ‘betrayal of the Scott Trust’s commitment to the Observer’

Journalists at the Guardian and Observer have voted to strike for 48 hours over the planned sale of the Observer newspaper to Tortoise.

Union members passed a motion on Wednesday stating that selling the Sunday newspaper to Tortoise would be a “betrayal” of the Scott Trust’s commitment to the Observer. The trust is the ultimate owner of Guardian Media Group.

The strike is due to take place on Wednesday 4 December and Thursday 5 December.

Tortoise is run by the former editor of the Times and former director of BBC News, James Harding. It has said it plans to continue to publish the Observer on a Sunday and build the Observer’s digital presence, combining with Tortoise’s podcasts, newsletters and live events. News of Tortoise’s approach for the Observer emerged in September.

A Guardian spokesperson said that it did “not believe a strike is the best course of action” and that its chief aim was to ensure that both the Guardian and Observer “thrive in a challenging media environment”.

If the strike of National Union of Journalists (NUJ) members goes ahead it would be the first such industrial action by the staff at the newspapers in decades. Further strike dates may follow.

The union motion said: “We believe the transfer is a betrayal of the Scott Trust’s commitment to the Observer as part of the Guardian News and Media family. The trust should protect a vital element of the UK and international liberal media and not seek to throw it overboard.”

Managers at the newspaper were presented with the results of a ballot for strike action which showed the vast majority of union members were prepared to strike over the deal. Of those eligible to participate, 75% cast a vote, with 93% supporting industrial action.

A Guardian spokesperson said: “We recognise the strength of feeling about the proposed sale of the Observer and appreciate that NUJ members wish to make their views heard. While we respect the right to strike, we do not believe a strike is the best course of action in this case and our talks with the NUJ continue.

“Our priority is to serve our readers and support our staff, so that the Guardian and the Observer can continue to promote liberal journalism and thrive in a challenging media environment.”

In response to the decision to strike, Tortoise issued a statement saying that it was saving the Observer from its decline into “irrelevance”.