
Portadown: Newspaper print site closure a severe blow, Unite says
The union says the closure would occur alongside the proposed shutdown of a printing plant in Cork and "further the centralisation of newspaper production to Britain".It said it is engaging with members on the next steps to try to keep the Portadown printworks open.In a statement, DMG Media said: "After extensive review, we are proposing to consolidate our Irish print operations."This proposed change would unfortunately result in the closure of our print site in Carn in autumn 2025."We are absolutely committed to helping everyone who is affected and supporting them through the process."
However, Unite regional officer Neil Moore said: "If Associated Print pushes ahead with closing this site, it will leave just one newspaper printworks operating in Northern Ireland. "That's not just a blow to jobs, it's a strategic risk to the print industry and a wider threat to skills."If the company won't invest in this workforce or this facility, it should be prepared to stand aside for someone who sees the long-term value in this facility. "We are pursuing every available option and will not allow these workers to be discarded without a fight."
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Sun
9 hours ago
- The Sun
Santander is closing 14 UK banks this month – full list of high streets affected
SANTANDER is set to shut 14 branches this August in a sweeping high street retrenchment, as the bank continues to streamline its operations. The closures affect locations across England, Northern Ireland and Wales, following a strategy announced in March to close 95 branches and reduce hours at another 50. 2 Once finished, Santander will operate just 290 full-service branches nationwide. Customers are being urged to switch to mobile or online banking, or to use remaining nearby sites. Santander cut more that 2,000 jobs earlier this year as part of this cost-cutting and digital transformation effort. In recent weeks Santander has also begun scrapping full counter services at five branches and turning others into Work Cafes with coworking space or event areas, reflecting its shift toward digital customer service models. Rivals also cutting back on branches Other UK banks are making similar moves. Lloyds Banking Group, which includes Lloyds Bank, Halifax and Bank of Scotland, recently announced 10 more closures in July and will shutter a total of 207 branches in 2025, with more than 250 scheduled by March 2026. The group is supporting customers with digital setup and alternative services including Post Office access and banking hubs. NatWest Group is also pressing ahead, with plans to close 55 branches from September 2025 to February 2026. It has already shuttered hundreds of branches this year as part of a wider network shrinkage that has seen over 1,400 closures since 2015. Despite this, the group says it will invest over £20 million upgrading its remaining branches and supporting vulnerable customers via alternative services. NatWest to close 53 bank branches in fresh blow to UK high street – see if your local is affected Barclays, having closed 1,236 branches since 2015, has paused further closures for 2025 and 2026. At its Annual General Meeting its CEO confirmed it will reassess longer‑term plans afterwards. The bank and others are also expanding community banking hubs, super ATMs and mobile vans to fill gaps left on the high street. Millions still depend on branches The wave of closures across the sector reflects a longer-term trend. More than 6,300 UK bank branches have shut since 2015. Yet despite the rapid growth in online banking, around 13 million people still use branches regularly — and approximately 3.3 million people have never used online banking at all. Campaigners say these figures show the need for more support, especially for older customers and those in rural areas who risk being left behind. Industry analysts say banks are being forced to strike a difficult balance between innovation and inclusion. While digital services offer convenience and efficiency, there are growing concerns that rapid closures are outpacing support measures — and putting vulnerable groups at risk of financial exclusion. These trends mirror long-term statistics: over 6,300 branches across the UK have closed since 2015, yet more than 13 million people still rely on physical branches, with around 3.3 million having never used online banking. 2


BBC News
10 hours ago
- BBC News
Sperrins wind farm gets go ahead after appeal
A wind farm in the Sperrins area has been given the go-ahead after the Planning Appeals Commission (PAC) overturned a decision by Causeway Coast and Glens Borough application to build six turbines at Magheramore, near Dungiven, was rejected by the council in was refused on the grounds of its impact on the landscape character of the Sperrins and the settings of historic the PAC found the proposal met landscape and visual policy requirements, and that it would only have "a minor adverse impact" on the setting of Magheramore Court Tomb and Magheramore Portal Tomb. The ruling also concluded that the stated environmental and economic benefits of the proposal and Stormont's climate obligations "weigh strongly in its favour".The Save Benbradagh group, which had campaigned against the turbines, raised the prospect that permission for the scheme would set a precedent opening up the entire Sperrins area for wind energy the PAC said: "No two sites are the same and every application must be considered on its own merits in the evidential and policy context then prevailing."It added that it did not accept that approval of this development would open up other areas to successive ruling has been welcomed by the wind farm developer, McCorry, Project Manager for RES, said: "Magheramore has been carefully designed to fit sensitively into the existing landscape and we warmly welcome the decision, which unlocks much-needed investment in the local economy."


BBC News
10 hours ago
- BBC News
Cardiff bus drivers set to strike for three weeks
A major Welsh bus company says it is committed to further talks after 450 of its staff voted to strike for three weeks over the says its members at Cardiff Bus, which includes bus drivers, will walk out from 17 August to 7 September in a row over union says the strike action would likely impact travel arrangements for planned shows at Cardiff Castle, including Will Smith and Basement Bus said it had made a "substantial offer" to the union. It is not clear at this stage how much disruption there would be to the company, which provides a large network of services in Cardiff and the nearby towns of Penarth and said workers at Cardiff Bus, which is owned by the city's council, were "financially struggling".It said its members had rejected the company's latest offer, which Unite said left pay at Cardiff Bus below levels of the rest of the have also left workers unable to take proper breaks, the union general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Cardiff Bus has long ignored low rates of pay and our hardworking members have rightfully had enough of the situation."These workers provide a vital frontline service and deserve to be compensated fairly. Any disruption is the fault of Cardiff Bus and our members there have Unite's full backing every step of the way in this dispute." Cardiff Bus said it was disappointed with the strike notice from said: "We have so far worked in an open and transparent fashion which has culminated in what we believe is a substantial offer of 5.86% to increase rates of pay. "Cardiff Bus terms and conditions are considered market leading in Wales and we have been a real living wage employer for over ten years demonstrating our commitment to pay a fair wage to our workforce. "We are committed to ongoing negotiation with Unite the union representatives in pursuit of a resolution to this dispute, so we can continue providing the best possible service to our customers."