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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Steve Busfield

Indy strike called off

Today's planned strike at the Independent was averted just hours before it was due to begin.

Extra "compact payments" on top of the deal previously offered by management are understood to have clinched the peace deal.

Journalists at the newspaper were due to hold a one-day strike on budget day following a ballot in favour of industrial action.

Staff will now receive a 2.5% pay rise, plus a 5% increase on minimum rates on all pay bands, no compulsory redundancies before April 2007 and payments to all staff employed since the launch of the compact of between £200 and £500.

Jeremy Dear, the general secretary of the National Union of Journalists, said: "We're delighted to have reached such a comprehensive and significant deal and to have been able to avoid the need to take strike action."

Talks over a new pay offer - originally 2.5% - broke down last month and NUJ members at the Independent and Independent on Sunday voted to strike. Two further offers were rejected this week before journalists voted to accept the new offer five hours before the strike was due to begin.

· To contact the MediaGuardian newsdesk email editor@mediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 7239 9857

· If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".

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