Four days of strike action by an estimated 1,100 journalists are set to go ahead after weekend pay talks failed to bring about a settlement.

Both the National Union of Journalists and Reach plc have confirmed editorial staff at the publisher will walk out for 24 hours tomorrow.

The planned walkout was postponed just hours before it was due to begin at midnight on Friday to allow both parties to engage in negotiations via the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service.

But talks over the weekend failed to produce a settlement, and the NUJ has now announced a planned 48-hour strike on Tuesday 13 and Wednesday 14 September will now extend into a third day on Thursday 15 September too.

The union previously rejected a salary increase of 3pc or £750, whichever is more, from Reach on the grounds that such a raise would not be enough to help journalists to deal with the cost-of-living crisis.

Reach says it amended its offer over the weekend to include an “accelerated career development framework that would have set out clearer salary progression for journalists”, but this was also turned down by the NUJ.

NUJ general secretary Michellle Stanistreet, pictured, said: “Despite a settlement being in touching distance following exhaustive talks at ACAS, with significant collective effort on the part of negotiators for both sides, the company’s no-show chief executive kiboshed any chance of a sensible deal that addresses our members’ key priority – their consolidated pay.

“NUJ members are clear where responsibility lies here, and that is shown in a unanimous vote of no confidence in Reach chief executive Jim Mullen.

“This is a man who’s enjoyed a £4m package from Reach this year, yet is intent on denying journalists a fair pay deal, even though the business has cash in the bank that could easily ensure its staff don’t continue to suffer the damaging impact of this cost of living crisis and a severe real-terms cut in salary.

“Failure to resolve this dispute represents a monumental failure of leadership on his part.”

A total of 1,093 NUJ members at Reach were balloted on the action, with 749 members out of 1,069 in the UK returning their ballot papers – a turnout of 70pc.

Of those to return their papers, 594, or 79pc, voted in favour of strike action and 657, or 88pc, in favour of action short of a strike.

In addition to the forthcoming strikes, a “work to rule” action is also set to take place from Thursday 1 September to Tuesday 13 September.

A Reach spokesperson said: “Over the weekend we have been in discussions with the NUJ in hope of avoiding industrial action, but unfortunately these talks have ended without agreement.

“We were able to meet the majority of requirements put forward by the NUJ and proposed an accelerated career development framework that would have set out clearer salary progression for journalists, so we are disappointed that our offer was rejected.

“We remain open to talks at any time to resolve this dispute and to begin to deliver these substantial improvements for our journalists.

“Our priority continues to be to protect the interests of all our colleagues and stakeholders, ensuring the group has a sustainable future in the face of an uncertain economic backdrop.”