Guardian journalists to hold second chapel meeting in bid to resolve job cuts dispute

Guardian journalists are to be called for their second chapel meeting in a week on Wednesday as the National Union of Journalists seeks to fight the threat of compulsory redundancies.

The meeting is scheduled for 1pm and NUJ deputy general secretary Barry Fitzpatrick told Press Gazette he is "reasonably optimistic" that a new proposal will be accepted and "resolve the problem".

So far only around 60 staff are understood to have volunteered for redundancy as management see to cut 100 journalists in order to make annual savings of £7m.

Guardian and Observer journalists were instructed to attend a “mandatory” chapel meeting at 4pm last Friday.

A staff notice calling the meeting said: "The Guardian and Observer chapel has voted to take industrial action in the form of a MANDATORY meeting on Friday at 4pm in the Scott Room in defence of jobs and terms and conditions. All NUJ members, including casuals, should attend the meeting.

"This is industrial action – continuing to work during the meeting is the equivalent of crossing a picket line."

Earlier this month Guardian News and Media voted in favour of possible strike action in protest at the threat of compulsory redundancies. That meant the NUJ has the legal authority to walk out on strike.

According to the NUJ, the vote was 81.6 per cent in favour of a strike. In terms of turnout, some 345 out of 642 editorial staff voted in favour of possible strike action.

The latest meeting is not technically mandatory but a reconvening of the previous mandatory chapel meeting.