Journalists at leading Scottish newspapers call off strike action

Journalists at The Scotsman newspaper were among those set to strike

Journalists at a newspaper group have withdrawn plans to strike on two days in a dispute over compulsory redundancies.

Staff at National World Scotsman Publications had been due to walk out on 26 August and 2 September.

The group's publications include The Scotsman, Edinburgh Evening News and Scotland on Sunday.

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) said it had withdrawn plans for strikes on the dates previously announced.

An NUJ spokesman said: "Our reason for doing so is that our members affected do not wish the union to pursue industrial action on their behalf.

"However, there are issues arising from the jobs losses - there will be fewer staff and there is a restructure taking place.

"We need information about how this will affect workloads and working hours and have approached the company for an urgent meeting to discuss these in detail."

Staff had voted for industrial action over compulsory redundancies following ballots, and separate action for those employed at the company's Scottish weekly publications.

A National World spokesman said: "We hope this marks the opportunity to move forward in a constructive manner as we restructure the business for a successful future embracing the opportunities for growing digital and ensuring a sustainable model for print."