Journalists at Northern Ireland's largest newspaper, the Belfast Telegraph, have voted for industrial action up to and including a full strike in response to a pay freeze imposed by the company.
Almost three-quarters of the journalistic staff at the newspaper, owned by Sir Anthony O'Reilly's Independent News & Media (UK), voted for the action in a secret postal ballot, which followed the company's refusal to negotiate a pay agreement for the current year.
The company had just agreed to return to pay bargaining with the union under new employment rights legislation introduced last year when the decision was made.
A National Union of Journalists (NUJ) spokesman said the union would formally advise the company of the outcome and that stoppages would take place unless there was an end to the "unjust pay freeze" implemented last month.
It is understood the newspaper's print union is also balloting members on industrial action over the same issue. Pay-related industrial action has already begun at the London Independent, which is part of the same newspaper group.
The NUJ chapel will meet over the next two weeks to decide what form the action will take. There could be a series of one-day stoppages, moving to full withdrawal of labour.
A spokesman for Independent News & Media said it was very surprised the chapel had opted to issue a press release without informing the company of the outcome of its vote and before issuing any letter to the company.
