Around 80 journalists at the Birmingham Post and Mail and Sunday Mercury are angry at the closure of the company's final salary pension scheme to new staff.

Another 40 journalists at the Trinity Mirror owned Coventry Evening Telegraph were also staging a four-hour strike on Friday in protest.

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) says it is concerned the company will create a two-tier workforce and that the final salary pension scheme will go bust without new contributions.

'Company's interest'

NUJ regional organiser, Miles Barter, said: "The company are showing how nasty they are by threatening to cut everyone out of a bonus scheme over a one day strike.

"This is entirely consistent with their decision to close the pension scheme and offer a below inflation pay rise."

However a spokesman for Trinity Mirror said the decision to close the final salary pension scheme had been taken in the best interest of the company.

"In general, the staff understand the reasons behind the decision over pensions," he said.

"Only a small minority of staff have voted in favour of this action. In any event, it will achieve nothing as the company has made its decision."

He added production of the paper, particularly coverage of the World Indoor Athletics Championships in Birmingham, would not be affected by the strike.