As reported on HoldtheFrontPage last month, the company is planning around 65 redundancies in a series of changes to its operations in the region.

Regional managing director Steve Brown has said he is "confident" the process can be completed without the need for any compulsory job losses.

But National Union of Journalists members at the Midlands titles, which include the Birmingham Mail and Coventy Telegraph, are holding open the threat of a two-day strike on October 7 and 8 if anyone is ultimately forced to lose their job.

NUJ Northern organiser Chris Morley said: "If anybody is made compulsorily redundant there will be strike action. But I hope it doesn't come to that."

The strike threat was issued last night by NUJ chapels meeting in Birmingham and Coventry after members voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action.

A resolution passed by the Birmingham chapel stated: "The chapel acknowledges the company's commitment to no compulsory redundancies and will review the action following the results of the selection process by October 6."

In effect, this means that if, by that date, management has been able to confirm that no-one will be forced to lose their job, the union will reconsider its strike call.

In a statement to HoldtheFrontPage today, Mr Brown said: "We have indicated to the NUJ that we are confident that the Trinity Mirror Midlands restructure can be undertaken without the need for compulsory redundancies.

"We are all working hard towards achieving this goal and we are confident that strike action can be avoided."

"I’m not sure what advantage any form of industrial action can achieve. The stakes are simply too high for us to be deflected from the action we have to take.

"Ultimately we have to create a solid and workable platform for the hundreds of journalists and other staff who will be part of the business going forward and collectively we need our energy and attention devoted to that. Trying to disrupt, delay or de-rail this process can only be harmful to all concerned."