Reuters British journalists call off strike

Thompson Reuters has reached a deal with the National Union of Journalists, who will now call off a two-day strike scheduled to begin tonight at midnight, reports Dylan Byers of Politico.

Byers writes, “‘As you know, the National Union of Journalists had scheduled an industrial action to begin at midnight tonight in London,’ Reuters News editor-in-chief Stephen Adler wrote in an internal email. ‘I was very pleased to hear that we reached an agreement with the NUJ earlier today, approved by the union membership, and have been able to avoid a strike.’

“The strike, which would’ve have been the first at Reuters in over 25 years, was scheduled yesterday after members of the NUJ rejected an offer from parent company Thomson Reuters.

“‘We listened to the NUJ’s concerns and, during extensive negotiations, went back with an improved pay offer,’ Adler writes in the email, obtained by POLITICO. ‘The agreed-upon 3% increase includes a minimum pay raise of 2.5%  and an additional 5% available for merit raises. This is an appreciable increase over 2011’s 1% overall budget.’

“‘I’d like to thank everyone who played a part in resolving this strike,’ he concluded. ‘I’m especially heartened  that everyone involved  worked so hard to reach an agreement that enables us to keep publishing the outstanding journalism our customers rely on in London and around the world.'”

Read more here.