STV journalists to strike on day of Holyrood election count

STV journalists are set to strike on the day of the Scottish Parliament election count.

Journalists and technical staff at STV have called a one-day strike on Friday May 8, which unions warn will limit coverage of the count.

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) said members, along with those at Bectu, which represents technical staff, will walk out over management’s refusal to put forward any pay award for 2026, or to agree principles of any compensatory pay award for 2027.

The 0% pay offer follows the launch of STV’s new radio station, at a cost of £500,000, in 2025.

In a letter to unions, STV said: “A temporary salary freeze for this year is… our only option at this stage as we prioritise returning business to profitability.”

The strike comes after STV last year announced plans to axe its dedicated north programme, along with 60 jobs across the company – with around 30 of these in news.

It will replace the north programme with a single programme from Glasgow, which will include sections devoted to regional news.

The company applied to the regulator Ofcom for permission to reduce its public service broadcasting obligations and to drop regionalised versions of the flagship News At 6 across its two channel three licence areas.

Ofcom has said it will not publish a decision on the proposals until after the Scottish election.

STV’s annual report published on Tuesday showed revenue fell from £188 million in 2024 to £176.9 million in 2025, while profits dropped £16.3 million to a £5.9 million loss last year.

In the report, Rufus Radcliffe, STV chief executive, said: “We are proud that STV News At Six remains the most-watched news programme in Scotland, and the team has delivered significant growth in video views across our digital news platforms.”

Nick McGowan-Lowe, NUJ Scotland organiser, said: “It’s regrettable and frustrating that after extensive talks, management are refusing to put forward any kind of fair compensation offer to the overworked and underpaid staff in the newsroom.

“It is one thing to write warm words in the annual report recognising that the success of the newsroom is built on the backs of its staff, but CEO Rufus Radcliffe needs to back that up with real actions.”

An STV spokesperson said: “We recognise a temporary salary freeze is challenging for colleagues but we’ve had to take a range of measures to respond to the market conditions facing the media sector.

“Returning the business to a strong financial footing is our priority and will protect the long-term interests of our colleagues.

“We are disappointed that the planned day of action will impact our audiences and we remain committed to continuing the dialogue with the joint unions.”