John McDonnell, MP for Hayes and Harlington, is leading a Commons motion, backed by a further 19 MPs, which calls on the company to enter into "positive dialogue" with the National Union of Journalists over the planned cutbacks. Recently, 90% of NUJ members at the Independent voted to hold a ballot for industrial action over the proposed job cuts.
The early day motion raised concern over plans, announced last November, that 90 jobs, about 60 of them editorial, should be cut at Independent News & Media UK, and that as a result, up to 35 journalists working for the papers face compulsory redundancy.
The MPs also expressed regret about what they labelled "widespread demoralisation" among staff regarding "the lack of transparency and consultation" about the relocation of the Independent to Associated Newspapers in Kensington. Their motion also criticises an alleged "lack of vision" about the publisher's future with a reduced workforce.
Ivan Fallon, Independent News & Media UK chief executive, said: "We have a very different plan. We are moving to the Kensington head quarters of the Daily Mail and have negotiated the contract to save money. This will protect The Independent going forward."
Early day motions are formal motions submitted for debate in the House of Commons. Very few are actually debated and instead are used for reasons such as publicising the views of individual MPs and drawing attention to specific events or campaigns.
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