160 Fairfax staff asked to re-apply for jobs

Photo / NZPA

Around 20 editorial jobs look likely to go at Fairfax Media New Zealand under the latest restructuring plans.

Fairfax met with staff yesterday and it is understood 180 jobs were disestablished and 160 people invited to reapply for jobs.

Fairfax human resources staff held meetings with editorial staff today. Affected staff are expected to be consulted over the next two weeks.

Fairfax has previously said there would be no job losses announced as a result of the restructuring.

However it has not spelt out how many new jobs would be created under the proposal to further organise its editorial operations into focused, local teams and specialist national topic areas.

Sinead Boucher, Executive Editor at Fairfax Media, says teams will be digital-centric and built around audiences and content - not specific products or mastheads.

Last week Fairfax announced a new editorial leadership team, with roles focussed on audiences across local regions and specialist content areas - including Life & Style, Business, National News and Sport.

Fairfax business title The Australian Financial Review recently tipped further job losses at Fairfax titles The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.

Like other media companies, Fairfax has faced challenges from changes in the way people use media and an advertiser shift to digital media.