Some journalists at a regional publisher are set to receive pay increases of more than £11,000 per year after a new deal was struck, it has been revealed.

The National Union of Journalists previously revealed the offer, ratified in a ballot of its members at Reach plc would lead to salary increases of between 14 and 44pc for “many” editorial staff at the group.

Neither side has publicly disclosed any further detail about how the new pay structure will work, but HTFP has now uncovered further information on the deal that was put to Reach staff ahead of the ballot,

It shows that some journalists including senior local democracy reporters and senior journalists, engagement producers and newsletter leads based in London aer set to receive pay rises in excess of five figures.

The proposed increases are set out in a message to staff from Reach which has been seen by HTFP.

It reveals that:

• Trainee journalists studying towards the NCTJ diploma, trainee local democracy reporters and journalists taken on under the Facebook-funded Community News Project will go from a starting minimum salary of £19,305 per annum to £22,000. This impacts 66 journalists.

• Trainees who have completed their NCTJ diploma will go from a starting minimum of £20,500 to either £27,000 in London or £23,500 in the rest of the country. This impacts 112 journalists.

• Senior journalists, engagement producers and newsletter leads will go from a starting minimum of £22,446 to either £33,500 in London or £30,000 in the rest of the country. This impacts 290 journalists.

• Senior local democracy reporters will go from a starting minimum of £22,260 to either £33,500 in London or £30,000 in the rest of the country. This impacts 47 journalists.

• Social media editors will go from a starting minimum of £22,260 to £32,000. This impacts 12 journalists.

• Regional sub-editors and story editors will go from a starting minimum of £24,287 to either £33,500 in London or £30,000 in the rest of the country. This impacts 20 journalists.

• Content editors, audience editors, national sub-editors and senior story editors will go from a starting minimum of £27,599 to either £37,947 in London or £34,000 in the rest of the country. This impacts 203 journalists.

The deals benefit a total of 750 editorial staff, while the remainder of Reach journalists will receive a basic salary increase of 3pc or £750, whichever is more.

The 3pc increase had originally been offered to journalists across the board, but the union rejected that proposal on the grounds that it would not be enough to help journalists to deal with the cost-of-living crisis.

Other aspects of the deal include parity on redundancy terms for former Local World and Express Newspapers staff, as well as local democracy reporters, as well as a commitment that casual and freelance rates in the current NUJ house agreements will receive the 3pc increase.

In a document explaining the pay plan to members, which has also been seen by HTFP, the union said: “The framework is designed to be consistent across all editorial up to content editor and equivalent in the nationals.

“We will complete validation of all employees to ensure their job titles are in the correct grouping of roles as per the progression framework before applying the new minimums.

“We will be working closely with management to ensure we verify the detail of each individual’s role to ensure they are paid correctly. We are aware that employees may use slightly different job titles externally than what we hold on our system and we will be paying minimums in line with the internal job titles.”

Reach has also reaffirmed its commitment to a one-off payment of £400 to all employees to help deal with the crisis, adding it intends to make a further such payment in the first quarter of next year if the group achieves “performance targets” for 2022.

The NUJ believes this second payment could be worth around £220 per person, according to a message it sent to its members at the group.

The message to staff from Reach stated: “These are unprecedented circumstances, for which there is no blueprint. We are working creatively to demonstrate our commitment to the intention to make success of our business mean success for everyone

“This exceptional, one-off payment would be outside of our employees’ terms and conditions of employment and would not form part of pay. It’s designed to recognise that we’re operating in extraordinary circumstances and that we all have a hand in the future success of our business.”

In a statement, the NUJ said: “The enhanced Reach pay offer agreed by NUJ members is a package that will provide above inflation increases in 2022 to more than 700 of the lower paid editorial workers, alongside a general cost of living increase and introduction of a group profit share scheme for all.

“The deal lifts minimum salaries for a number of job categories to lay a baseline for a transparent group-wide career progression structure which will allow journalists a consistent way to progress through the job grades to reach higher pay. We are now working with the company to accelerate the creation of this structure over the coming months.

“Additionally, those members leaving the company through redundancy in Local World and Express Newspapers will benefit from new enhanced terms. Rates for casuals in existing NUJ house agreements will receive the general increase and there is a welcome commitment to review of freelance rates.”

HTFP has also approached Reach for further comment.