Scotland's first minister is asking Newsquest, the UK arm of the U.S. Gannett Co., Inc., to reconsider its plan to make all employees in its Glasgow newspapers to reapply for fewer jobs, Media Guardian reported Thursday. Alex Salmond is also urging the company to negotiate with the National Union of Journalists.

Newsquest is looking to cut between 30 and 40 jobs, or 17 percent of the 235 journalists working at the Evening Times, Herald and Sunday Herald, after adopting a new editorial structure that merges the three editorial departments, The Independent reported Thursday. The only employees not given notice are six senior staff members, including the newly named editor-in-chief Donald Martin. The newspapers are part of the Herald & Times Group, Newsquest's Glasgow subsidiary.

The staff was given 90 days' redundancy notices that will invite them to apply for new jobs, Media Guardian reported.

Pauline McNeill, labour MSP and arts and culture spokeswoman called Newsquest's plan "draconian," and asked Salmond to condemn it.

Salmond said that he understands the Scottish media industry is experiencing difficult times; however, "if this was happening in another employer in Scotland, if an approach was being taken to make an entire workforce redundant, what would we imagine that the editorial stance of the Herald newspaper would've been?" he said, according to Media Guardian. "I think that the owners of the Herald group should think carefully about the credibility of the newspaper given the stance they have adopted."

Although Newsquest earned a £23 million profit from its Herald titles in 2007, it expects advertising income in its property, auto and employment supplements to plummet, according to Media Guaridan. Newsquest also as seen circulations decline, according to The Independent.

The National Union of Journalists called the redundancies a "brutal attempt at forcing changes" that will likely lead to "major problems" at the three titles, The Independent reported.

Labour MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden David Whitton also announced his stance on Newsquest's action, saying he is "disguisted at the tactics of their management," Media Guardian reported. "The Herald is one of the oldest newspapers in the English-speaking world and those who work for it deserve better, no matter what the company's current financial position is."

Gannett, the largest newspaper publisher in the United States, is making headlines on two continents, as this week it cut 2,000 jobs, or 10 percent of its workforce across its community publishing division, the largest mass layoffs the newspaper industry has ever seen.