The UK's National Union of Journalist's (NUJ) announced protests and strikes against job cuts announced at local newspapers, Journalism.co.uk reported Monday. The union's general secretary said "profiteering" by local newspaper publishers is ruining the industry.

After an emergency meeting on Saturday with Trinity Mirror, Johnston Press and Newsquest representatives, the union announced it will support industrial action within the coming weeks, as well as a day of action against job losses, according to a statement from the NUJ.

More than 500 journalism posts have been left unfilled or cut, while and more than 30 local newspaper offices have closed in the country since June, according to the union's research, Journalism.co.uk reported. Last week, Newsquest announced it would axe 17 journalism positions at the Northern Echo and close five district offices, and Trinity Mirror announced it will cut 78 jobs in its north west division.

"Instead of greater investment in quality online content, more localised coverage and strengthened editorial teams, for years the vast profits of local newspapers have been largely shovelled in to shareholders pockets, directors' pay rises and executive pension pots, amidst reckless borrowing and poor investment decisions," Jeremy Dear, general secretary, said in the NUJ statement.

Dear added: "Local newspapers in print and online remain viable and profitable businesses. We can't stand by and see this profiteering destroy our industry. The question needs to be asked what have they done with the billions of pounds of profits in the last 10 years? If you ran your family budgets in such a way you would risk ending up homeless and penniless."