A planned strike by an estimated 1,100 journalists has been called off at the last minute after their union and publisher reopened talks.

National Union of Journalists members at Reach had been planning to walk out today in a bid to secure an increase in salary.

The action was planned after 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.

But both parties have now agreed to return to the negotiating table via the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service with a view to achieving a settlement.

The decision to postpone the one-day strike action was agreed by the Reach Plc chapel representatives from across England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland yesterday evening.

NUJ general secretary Michelle Stanistreet, pictured, said: “We welcome the invitation to talks and both sides will enter into the process of negotiations in good faith and with a sense of urgency.

“The NUJ is committed to achieving a fair outcome.”

A Reach spokesperson added: “We are pleased to report that the NUJ have accepted our offer to meet with ACAS for further talks, in hope of a resolution.

“This means that the industrial action planned for Friday 26 August has been postponed while we plan to meet with the NUJ at the earliest opportunity. This is a positive and significant step in finding a way forward for everyone.”

The union had been due to set up picket lines today outside six Reach offices – in Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Hull, Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle – while gatherings were also set to be held in other areas served by Reach titles.

In the event of negotiations not reaching a successful conclusion the NUJ’s strike action planned for Wednesday 31 August will go ahead.

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.

A 24-hour strike is scheduled for Wednesday, as well as a two-day walkout on Wednesday 14 and Thursday 15 September, while a “work to rule” action is also set to take place from Thursday 1 September to Tuesday 13 September.

After Reach’s previous offer was rejected by the NUJ, a subsequent round of talks conducted through ACAS, in which the publisher offered enhanced redundancy terms for some staff, failed to produce a settlement.

Reach later withdrew the redundancy terms offer, aimed at journalists on Local World and Express & Star contracts, and claimed in a memo to staff that any action would only cause “absolute minimum” disruption to their titles’ operations.

Both sides had called for talks in a bid to avert the action last week, but Reach remained steadfast in its assertion that there will be no increased pay offer put on the table – despite demands by the NUJ that this should form part of any deal.