More strike dates have been announced by National Union of Journalists members at Newcastle Chronicle and Journal Ltd.

More than 100 members stayed away from work yesterday in the second 24-hour strike to be held at the company, publishers of The Journal, Evening Chronicle, Sunday Sun and Herald & Post series, and the company’s Groat Market office was picketed.

And at a chapel meeting attended by around 50 members on Wednesday afternoon, it was agreed by a majority vote to hold two more days of strikes, on Friday, August 9 and Saturday, August 10 if a solution is not found beforehand.

NC&J father of chapel Will Mapplebeck said that the new dates had been chosen to hit the deadline of the Sunday Sun.

He said: “The members are demonstrating that they have had enough of being offered derisory pay year after year and they are not giving up.”

He also said that no official talks between the NUJ and the company had been taken place for two weeks, but that the union was always open to talks.

NC&J human resources director David Rowland said that the company still expected to print its titles as normal.

NC&J and the union had earlier gone to the conciliation service ACAS, but no agreement was reached.

The union, which has more than 100 members among the 170-strong editorial workforce, is asking for a four per cent increase across the board.

Originally, NC&J put forward a two per cent pay offer, and later also offered to further increase trainee wages and raise the minimums – offers which the union declined.

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