Journalists at the Southern Daily Echo have called off a second planned 48-hour strike which had been due to start tomorrow.

National Union of Journalists members at the Newsquest title say they hope management will now enter into “genuine negotiations” over pay.

In a letter sent to Hampshire managing director Stewart Dunn this afternoon, the union’s head of publishing Barry Fitzpatrick said it had called off the strike to facilitate a meeting between NUJ representatives and Newsquest management.

Last week more than 40 members of editorial staff at the Southern Daily Echo – around 75 per cent of the editorial workforce – went on strike over the company’s continuing pay freeze.

NUJ members at the Daily Echo hope that the dispute will be resolved without the need for further industrial action but have expressed to management that if meaningful talks are not entered into they reserve the right to take action at a later date.

Union representative David Brine said “Last week’s strike was a last resort after months of fruitless negotiations. Members felt there is no alternative but now we are offering management another chance to negotiate with us.

“We have offered major concessions such as accepting a zero per cent settlement and having the loyalty payments reinstated but management has refused to budge an inch and enter into meaningful talks.”

“Daily Echo journalists are fiercely proud of the job they do and the newspaper they produce but after months of fruitless negotiations, members feel there is no alternative but to stage industrial action.

“We have offered major concessions such as accepting a zero per cent settlement and having the loyalty payments reinstated but management has refused to budge an inch and enter into meaningful talks.”

Echo editor Ian Murray was told the news while attending the Society of Editors conference in Glasgow.

He told HTFP “I am delighted that those members of the NUJ who had threatened to take strike action have now decided to call off their action.”