Mediahuis Ireland agrees to new conditions for staff
Staff at Mediahuis Ireland have agreed to a deal on working conditions that will see increases to paternity, bereavement, and domestic violence leave, an increase to the recommended living wage for some workers, and a working group to address workloads and stress.
The agreement follows five months of engagement between Mediahuis and the National Union of Journalists (NUJ).
Workers had previously rejected a 2% pay increase along with a €500/£500 Christmas bonus, which the company paid regardless.
Since the ballot in December 2025, the NUJ has been in dispute with the company. However, last week a ten point offer was accepted in a ballot of the Mediahuis NUJ Group Chapel with 80% for and 20% against.
Mediahuis Ireland holds a portfolio of eight national and twelve local titles in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
They include the Irish Independent, the Sunday Independent, the Sunday World, the Belfast Telegraph, the Corkman, and the Kerryman.
Its parent company Mediahuis owns titles in the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg.
The deal agreed last week covers staff across the company's Irish titles.
Main points
Paternity leave has been increased from two to four weeks, which will be paid at 100% of base pay.
Domestic violence leave has also been increased from five days to one month. Bereavement leave has been increased and will follow a sliding scale depending on the relationship of the worker to the deceased from five days up to one month.
A number of workers who have been on the national minimum wage of €14.15 have been moved up to the recommended living wage of €15.40.
Mediahuis has also offered a guaranteed 2% increase from 1 January 2027.
A working group on workloads and stress has also been established and includes representatives from the NUJ. There will also be quarterly meetings of the NUJ and Mediahuis management moving forward to address any issues of concern to either party.
NUJ Irish Organiser Ian McGuinness said that the result would never have been achieved without the seven elected reps on both sides of the border.
“The NUJ’s reps worked tirelessly, attended meeting after meeting with myself and with the company, and did so solely to improve the terms and conditions of their colleagues.
This raft of improvements helps to build a stronger safety net for our members in Mediahuis and the NUJ looks forward to continuing to work constructively with the company in the future,” he said.
Mediahuis has been contacted for comment.