National Union of Journalists members at a Lincolnshire paper have returned to work following a five-day strike over pay.

Another five-day strike is set to go ahead from tomorrow – with the NUJ now warning that further strikes may be held if a solution to the pay dispute is not found.

NUJ members at the Spalding Guardian went ahead with the first round of strike action on Saturday, picketing outside the paper’s offices, and returned to their desks on Wednesday.

Last week, representatives from Welland Valley Newspapers, which owns the Spalding Guardian, met the NUJ.

The chapel held a secret ballot, voting unanimously to strike, following an improved offer from the newspaper company which would have seen current trainees receive a 20 per cent rise and newly-qualified seniors’ salaries rise by £3,000 to £15,000.

The NUJ, whose membership numbers 13 of the papers’ 18 editorial staff, says the sticking point is that new starters would still only get £10,500 and employees with some management responsibility would be paid £16,000.

The union put a package to the company, which included a new pay scale and a one-off payment of £500 for seniors, but it was rejected.

Miles Barter, regional NUJ organiser, said: “There is no waivering, they are all very determined. We have the option of giving the management notice of more strikes, which we are likely to do in the next few days.”

No one from Welland Valley Newspapers was available to comment.

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