Journalists at the Independent Group of newspapers have voted by 94 per cent for industrial action in pursuit of a pay increase for all staff. So far the company has offered to increase pay scales by up to 11 per cent for newer recruits but has only offered the terms of the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness to other staff.
The vote for industrial action was 178 to 10. Journalists at the group's titles, the Irish Independent, the Sunday Independent and the Evening Herald, took part in the ballot. Both sides are due to meet today.
The Irish organiser of the National Union of Journalists, Mr Seamus Dooley, said last night that he hoped the company would review its position in light of the ballot result.
"I am not surprised by the vote of the chapel, which has already rejected two previous proposals. I genuinely feel the company is not taking the input of journalists into the commercial success of its titles seriously," he said.
Independent Newspapers (Ireland) in a statement said it was unsurprised by the outcome of the ballot. "The union has confirmed in writing it will take no precipitate action and that the process will be conducted and concluded through agreed and accepted negotiation procedures, up to and including the Labour Court," the statement said.
Mr Dooley said there had been no increases for journalistic staff above the terms of national agreements since 1991.
The father of the chapel (chairman) Mr Kevin Moore said the scale of the vote "was an indication of the strength of feeling among members at management's failure to offer an across-the-board pay increase. There has been a £60 million investment in the new printing premises at City West but management will not invest in journalists or journalism."
Most journalists with the group earn between £27,000 and £41,000 a year.