A strike which had threatened to disrupt production of regional newspapers next week has been averted following talks at the Labour Relations Commission.
Members of the National Union of Journalists in 27 newspapers had voted to strike for three days from Sunday over a unilateral decision by their employers to close their pension scheme.
Strike notice was suspended, however, following talks at the LRC on Tuesday between the union and the Regional Newspapers Association of Ireland, which ended at midnight.
The dispute had been triggered by the association's decision last month to end the journalists' defined benefit scheme, which guarantees a pension equivalent to up to two-thirds of salary, to be replaced by a defined contribution scheme, which would not carry a guaranteed final payment.
In the talks this week, however, the association agreed to resume contributions to the defined benefits scheme. The two sides are now to enter talks, which are to conclude within three months.
NUJ Irish secretary Séamus Dooley said the union was happy that the "current threat" to the pension scheme had been lifted. "We now wish to sit down with the employers, under the auspices of the LRC, to discuss a range of issues relating to the pension scheme."
Regional newspapers that would have been affected included all published by Independent News and Media and Thomas Crosbie Holdings, and a number of titles published by Johnston Press.
