Last ditch talks are to be held at Independent Television News (ITN) in an attempt to avert strikes by staff over plans to introduce new working hours.

Journalists and technicians will stage a 24-hour walkout on 27 January and a four-hour stoppage on the 31st unless there is a breakthrough during talks at the conciliation service Acas next week.

In ballots which closed on Thursday members of the Broadcasting Entertainment Cinematograph and Theatre Union (Bectu) and National Union of Journalists (NUJ) voted by 80% majorities to back industrial action.

Members were meeting again on Friday to discuss what form the action should take, before issuing their managers with notice on Monday, according to a statement issued by Bectu.

The strike vote comes in the wake of proposals tabled by managers last November to introduce night working for all employees as part of plans to turn the station into a 24-hour news channel and to service its new contract to provide GMTV with news from February.

But staff say that, by forcing everyone to work unsocial hours, ITN will cause massive disruption to their family lives.

They also object to proposals to introduce a five-day working week across the board for all employees.

John Fray, NUJ deputy general secretary, said today: "High levels of participation in these ballots, coupled with the overwhelming vote in favour of action, demonstrate the determination of ITN staff to maintain their essential rights to arrange their lives in a way which enables them both to work effectively and to make proper provision for their families."

Job security

In a statement issued on Friday, ITN said it understood changes in working practices would alter the working lives of some individuals.

But it said its primary concern was job security and, to achieve that, it would have to be flexible enough to deliver services demanded by existing customers while branching out into new ones.

The new conditions would also bring ITN's practices into line with the rest of the industry.

Company director of resources Martyn Hurd said: "Only a quarter of our staff have voted for industrial action.

"While we are disappointed that the vote was carried, we remain committed to achieving a settlement.

"We still intend to talk to union representatives on 18 and 19 January at a meeting that was agreed before the ballot took place."