A pay dispute at Newcastle Chronicle and Journal Ltd has been settled.

National Union of Journalists members at the company, publishers of The Journal, Evening Chronicle, Sunday Sun and Herald & Post series, had held a series of one-day and two-day stoppages in pursuit of a four per cent pay claim, the latest being held on Friday and Saturday August 9 and 10.

However, the union has now decided to accept the company's two per cent pay offer, which was first put forward by management at the conciliation service ACAS before the stoppages went ahead.

NC&J managing director Steve Brown said: "We are very pleased the matter has been settled and the deal we put on the table has been accepted.

"We now look forward to putting the matter behind us and concentrating on developing and building our titles."

NC&J father of chapel Will Mapplebeck said: "I'm proud that my members registered their protest and took part in the NUJ national campaign to improve journalists' wages.

"We achieved, through ACAS, an improvement in the amount the company was offering us."

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