Last month the CN Group announced a consultation on up to 29 job losses within its publishing division. At the time, chief executive Robin Burgess said potential redundancies in its publishing division would cover 12-16 roles within Cumbrian Newspapers and 10-13 positions at Furness Newspapers.
According to a release from the NUJ 26 people at the North West Evening Mail (a Furness Newspapers title) voted for strike action, with one against, resulting in a 96 per cent vote for action.
The union claims the sub-editing section at the newspaper has been "targeted for severe cuts" with one NUJ member allegedly facing the "threat of compulsory redundancy".
"The chapel is determined to fight deteriorating working conditions," NUJ regional organiser Chris Morley said in the release.
"Members are not prepared to see a substantially increased workload on those who remain. Health and safety is already under threat from long hours and journalists on the North West Evening Mail fear that the planned reorganisation will make things worse."
Publishing director Jonathan Lee told Journalism.co.uk: "We are aware of the result of the ballot. We are not aware of the union contemplating any action at this stage." He declined to comment further.
In its release, the NUJ claims staff have been told a new one-shift system will be introduced to replace the previous three-shift system. The union said implementation of the changes will be scrutinised by the chapel.
"The chapel doesn't believe that these cuts can be made without substantial impact on those that remain," Morley told Journalism.co.uk.
"The company needs to be very careful that if they don't want strike action then they are going to need to come up with a solution that actually works and the chapel is certainly going to monitor how this new shift system works."
He added that the chapel reserves the right to take strike action.
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