Talks are expected to take place next week aimed at averting a strike at regional newspapers over a planned change in journalists' pension cover.
The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) said members in 27 newspapers had voted by an 82 per cent majority to strike over a unilateral decision by employers to close their pension scheme.
Notice of a three-day strike, to begin on Sunday of next week, was then served on the newspapers concerned.
The dispute was triggered by a decision of the Regional Newspapers Association of Ireland (RNAI) last month to end the journalists' defined benefit scheme, which guarantees a pension equivalent to up to two-thirds of salary on retirement.
It is to be replaced by a defined contribution scheme, which would not carry a guaranteed final payment.
In a significant move last night, however, the RNAI said it had offered to suspend the winding up of the existing scheme, to allow talks to take place.
It said it had been in touch with the Labour Relations Commission and had agreed to attend conciliation talks next Tuesday.
It hoped the NUJ would avail of the opportunity to discuss the issue of pensions and would, in the meantime, withdraw its notice of industrial action.
NUJ organiser Des Fagan said the RNAI statement would be put to a meeting of the union's Irish executive council early next week. A decision on whether to withdraw the strike notice would be a matter for the council, he said.
Production of a number of the country's best-known newspaper titles is likely to be seriously disrupted if the strike goes ahead.
NUJ Irish secretary Séamus Dooley said all of the titles published by Independent Newspapers and Thomas Crosbie Holdings (TCH), as well as most of those owned by Johnston Press, would be affected. He said the newspapers' owners were "vastly wealthy" media groups
Independent owns People newspapers in Wexford as well as the Drogheda Independent, Dundalk Argus and Kerryman. TCH publishes the Nationalist papers in Carlow, Kildare and Laois as well as the Western People and Waterford News & Star.
Johnston Press titles include the Limerick Leader, Leinster Leader and Donegal Democrat.
