Journalists at Trinity Mirror titles in North Wales have voted to hold a strike ballot over planned newsroom changes.

The company last month announced plans to refocus its news operation in the region, putting around eight existing posts at risk of redundancy with six new roles being created.

The plans include moving the North Wales Daily Post’s political reporter from Cardiff to Llandudno, meaning there would no longer be a specialist based at the Welsh Assembly in the capital.

Other titles affected by the proposals include the North Wales Weekly News, Caernarfon and Denbigh Herald, Flintshire Chronicle and Holyhead and Bangor Anglesey Mails.

Members of the TM North Wales chapel of the National Union of Journalists have now voted to ballot for industrial action over the company’s plans, which they say will put at risk editorial quality and resulting in unreasonable workloads for remaining staff.

According to the chapel, journalists will be asked to work additional weekend shifts, possibly being required to work weekends twice as often as currently.

Paul Scott, NUJ national executive member for Wales, said: “Our members in North Wales have had enough of Trinity Mirror’s relentless pursuit of editorial cuts.

“They do not want to take this course of action, but feel they no longer have a choice given the company’s behaviour and the fact that they are constantly in fear of further damaging announcements.

“We are asking that management replaces journalists who have left the company, reverses their decision on the Daily Post’s political reporter to allow the incumbent of that role to continue to cover the Welsh Assembly from Cardiff and offers proper journalistic career development for digital staff.

“The company should begin talking to our workplace reps as soon as possible so that we can find a way of avoiding any disruption and get on together with the business of serving the people of North Wales.”

A Trinity Mirror spokesperson said: “We have been working closely with colleagues and the NUJ as part of the proposed changes which we believe will strengthen our newsroom and leave us better placed to serve our audience.”

On the issue of Daily Post politics coverage, a spokeswoman previously said: “The Daily Post remains committed to covering Welsh politics at a local and national level. We believe we are better placed to do this from the community in which we serve.

“As a result we intend to appoint a politics reporter based in North Wales, who will continue to write about Assembly and local government issues that matter to our readership.”