Union members at the Wolverhampton Express & Star are calling on their bosses to extend a consultation period on ending their final salary pension scheme.

Members of the scheme have been given eight weeks to absorb complex information which they fear could cost them tens of thousands of pounds.

The company, which also owns the Shropshire Star, wants to change to a “defined contribution” pension scheme, which the company said would save £600,000 a year.

National Union of Journalists president Chris Morley said the Express & Star was only the second newspaper company to take such “draconian” action.

When fellow family-owned group Cumbrian Newspapers revealed it wanted to close its final salary scheme an initial three-month consultation period was extended to six months. The NUJ chapels at CN are still in dispute over compensation levels.

Father of chapel John Corser said: “Individuals need to be absolutely sure how this will impact on them.

“They need to be given the opportunity, through their representatives, to have time to check this thoroughly and enter into dialogue with company decision makers after the full implications are known.”