Independent Newspapers issued protective notice to its 650 staff yesterday in response to threatened strike action by clerical staff, only three days before the start of production at its new printing press at Citywest, west Dublin.
The company's 220 journalists and other employees were informed that the management was compelled to issue protective notice as a result of being served with formal seven-day strike notice by SIPTU.
The "unilateral strike notice," the company said, followed the rejection by clerical workers of a Labour Court recommendation dated June 22nd and their subsequent rejection of revised proposals.
"The result of this official action may seriously threaten our ability to continue publication of our newspapers," the notice said. "We therefore - with regret - are compelled to give notice of termination of your employment."
The protective notice is due to expire at the end of normal working on Friday next, November 24th. "Employment from this date (November 17th) will be on a day-to-day basis, depending on our ability to produce our publications," said the notice, signed by Mr Declan Carlyle, the company's human resources manager.
Journalists at the Independent are due to meet management on Monday, following a strike ballot that overwhelmingly rejected a revised pay offer aimed at eliminating the "two-tier" pay structure in operation since 1990, plus a lump sum of £1,000 per journalist.
The journalists' main concern is that the proposals do not provide for any increases in excess of what is available under the current national wage agreement.