THE National Union of Journalists (NUJ) called on the new owners of Johnston Press to reassure workers over job stability following its announcement that it had filed for administration.

The union is to meet Johnston Press management tomorrow after the owners admitted on Friday that they were unable to repay a hefty £220 million debt bill that was due for payment next June.

However, media company JPI Media announced on Saturday that it bought the company’s assets and said that staff will keep their jobs.

The NUJ, which represents members working for Johnston Press publications, has expressed concerns about the buyout, fuelled by worries over the future of the business and changes to the pension scheme that would mean almost 5,000 employees would lose their company pensions.

The union said that the move into administration would see the creation of a new company formed by the holders of its current debt that would allow the company to ditch its defined pension benefit scheme which will now go into the Pension Protection Fund.

NUJ general secretary Michelle Stanistreet said: “We want a meaningful guarantee on the future and integrity of these titles and the livelihoods of staff and a commitment that this is not a transition leading to a carve-up of the group motivated by asset-stripping rather than a commitment to journalism and publishing.”

Labour shadow culture secretary Tom Watson has confirmed that he is in dialogue with workers’ representatives, adding: “Johnston Press going into administration is a grim day for local newspapers and another deeply worrying one for local democracy.”

Johnston Press, which was founded in 1767, publishes the Yorkshire Post, the Scotsman and the i newspaper.