It also plans to change the terms and conditions of its remaining staff, probably regarding shift patterns, but will continue to operate with five presses. Managing director Charles Jarrold described rumours of a possible buyout as "pure speculation", adding: "Our priority is to ensure we have a secure foundation."
Moving printing to another site remained an option, he said, but improving the efficiency of the current plant was the immediate priority. "That will give us confidence when making decisions in the long term," he added.
Eric Neal, deputy secretary of the GPMU's Norwich and North Anglia branch, was "surprised" by the news, especially in light of agreements made with the firm following 76 job cuts in its bindery in April.
Jarrold employs around 330 staff, so the latest redundancies amount to a sixth of its current workforce. Combined with the losses in April, Jarrold has shed around a third of its staff this year.
Jarrold said the firm "naturally regretted" making the proposals. Gary Iceton, the former chairman of book printer Clays, has headed up Jarrold Printing's operational review. Jarrold said there had been no "firm discussions" over Iceton's future role, but that he would continue to work for the firm "for the time being".
[0]Jarrold has won the deal to print a new gardening magazine published by the Telegraph Group and BBC Magazines. The title, provisionally called The Daily Telegraph Gardening Magazine, will have an initial print run of 100,000.
Story by Gordon Carson
