JOURNALISTS on newspapers in south London are balloting for strike action in defence of jobs, the NUJ confirmed yesterday.

Publisher Newsquest, one of Britain’s largest regional newspaper publishers, has been axing journalists’ jobs across the country, transferring others to Wales where staff have to work “remotely.”

The firm’s latest targets are journalists at its south London titles, including eight in its Guardian series, Surrey Comet, Elmbridge Comet, the Richmond and Twickenham Times, and the News Shopper series with editions in Dartford, Lewisham, Greenwich, Gravesend, Bexley and Bromley.

NUJ national organiser Laura Davison said: “The NUJ will be writing to new Culture Secretary John Whittingdale and others to highlight what is happening in Newsquest London and across the company.

“This programme of devastating cuts will make it much more difficult to hold people in power to account and to produce the high-quality content readers and advertisers want.”