SPH Media lays off 11 workers with decommissioning of old printing presses
SPH Media chief executive officer Chan Yeng Kit announced the job cuts in an e-mail sent to staff on Tuesday (Jul 22). He said the cuts were the result of operational reviews taking place as the company progresses on its transformation journey, and not driven by major restructuring or cost-cutting.
The affected workers, who were notified on Tuesday, include those operating two of the company's six printing presses and involved in distribution of its newspapers.
The Colorliner printing presses, made by Manroland Goss Web Systems GmbH and in operation since 1996, are being decommissioned, with printing operations to be consolidated on the media company's four other Commander presses from Koenig & Bauer (KBA).
The newer KBA presses, deployed in 2003, can print up to 56 broadsheet pages in colour and up to 72,000 copies of the paper per hour.
This is more than what the older Colorliner presses were able to achieve at 40 pages in full colour and up to 72,000 copies per hour.
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An SPH Media spokeswoman, in response to queries from The Straits Times, said upgrades to the KBA machines have allowed the company to consolidate its daily printing operations onto the newer presses.
'These changes allow us to maintain quality printing operations and improve process efficiency. Regrettably, the changes have also resulted in redundancies across 11 job roles in SPH Media's production division,' she said.
The spokeswoman added that the company had explored redeployment opportunities, but did not manage to find suitable placements for the affected workers.
Chan, in his internal e-mail, said the company's significant investment in refreshing the KBA presses over the past three years will ensure that SPH Media can maintain quality printing operations.
'Print continues to be an important format and channel through which we engage our audiences daily,' he said.
He added that even as the company makes these changes, it remains committed to meeting the demand for print formats and will continue to find new and better ways to do so.
SPH Media has said in the past that the introduction of the newer printers had substantially improved the capacity of its print centre, located in Jurong.
The 11ha facility is one of largest printing plants in the Asia-Pacific, with some of the most advanced and state-of-the-art printing facilities that print The Straits Times and 16 other internal publications as well as foreign newspapers on contract.
More than a hundred people are involved in every shift of the print centre's operation, seven days a week, 363 days a year. The plant shuts down only on Chinese New Year and Christmas Day.
The 11 workers were told they would be let go on Jul 22 by SPH Media head of production Lim Swee Yeow. SPH Media deeply appreciates the contributions of the affected staff, said the spokeswoman.
The company has informed the unions and NTUC of the layoffs, and is committed to supporting the workers during this period of transition 'through comprehensive severance packages aligned with tripartite guidelines, career coaching, job placement assistance, CV enhancement services, and emotional support through professional counselling', she added.
In his e-mail, Chan also said SPH must continue with reviews of its various divisions as needed.
These reviews are necessary to ensure operations remain fit for purpose given technological advances as well as changing customer preferences, he said.
Not all such reviews will result in job redundancies, he added, and that the company's human resources department will explore all alternatives - including redeployment and retraining - before considering job cuts as a last resort.
Chan also reiterated a point he made at an internal townhall in May that the reviews are not driven by major restructuring or cost-cutting.
'I am committed to building our strategy and business with all of you. This includes putting in place new directions, initiatives and investments to drive SPH forward,' he said.
'As we do so, we must continue to spend prudently and seek efficiencies where we can as part of our regular operations.'
The organisation must navigate this tension well in order to succeed, he added.
In November 2024, SPH Media laid off 34 technology workers across various teams and ranks, amid a structuring of the company's technology division. The affected workers made up about 10 per cent of employees in the division.
More recently, SPH Media-owned Tech In Asia announced on Jul 1 that it will stop publishing its Indonesia edition from Jul 15, and will wind down operations in the country.
The move, which affected 18 per cent of Tech in Asia's team, came amid an exercise to streamline operations and focus on its international edition. Tech In Asia was acquired by SPH Media in 2024.
On Jul 22, SPH Media said it remained focused on strengthening its capabilities to serve audiences across both print and digital platforms, and on investing in sustainable and future-ready media operations. THE STRAITS TIMES
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