Journalists on the Guardian and the Observer are on Thursday starting a second 48-hour strike in protest on the proposed sale of the Observer newspaper to Tortoise Media, which was agreed in principle final week.

The economic motion follows the same two-day strike final week, which was the primary on the Guardian in additional than 50 years. The brand new 48-hour strike is because of happen on Thursday 12 December and Friday 13 December.

Nationwide Union of Journalists (NUJ) members handed a movement in November stating that promoting the Sunday newspaper to Tortoise can be a “betrayal” of the Scott Trust’s dedication to the Observer. The belief is the final word proprietor of Guardian Media Group.

Final Friday it was introduced {that a} deal to promote the Observer, the world’s oldest Sunday newspaper, to Tortoise Media, had been agreed in precept. It should end in £25m of recent funding within the Observer, with a dedication to print on a Sunday and a plan to construct it right into a digital model.

As a part of the deal, the Scott Trust said it could take a stake in Tortoise and sit on each the editorial and business boards of the media firm.

On its web site, the NUJ stated: “The Nationwide Union of Journalists and its members on the Guardian and Observer consider the plans are disastrous for the Observer, will injury the repute of the Guardian and can critically influence the working situations for employees on each titles.”

The poll for strike motion final month confirmed that of these eligible to take part, 75% solid a vote, with 93% supporting industrial motion.

The strike implies that readers could discover some variations to the Guardian’s web site on Thursday and Friday and within the print version on Friday and Saturday.

Resulting from deadlines, a number of the tales that seem on the web site and within the newspaper on these days is not going to have been written on the day in query. In different instances, nameless bylines could also be used. Guardian US and Guardian Australia workers will not be a part of the strike motion.

Observer workers have been advised there will likely be no job losses because of the deal. Observer workers have been advised they will additionally choose to take voluntary redundancy on enhanced phrases. In the event that they switch to Tortoise, their present phrases and situations will likely be honoured.

Tortoise is run by James Harding, the previous editor of the Instances and former director of BBC Information. It has put ahead plans to proceed publishing the Observer on a Sunday and construct the title’s digital presence. It might mix the Observer with Tortoise’s podcasts, newsletters and reside occasions.

A Guardian spokesperson stated: “We respect the appropriate of NUJ members to strike and have initiated a plan to minimise the influence on workers and readers, persevering with to publish on-line and in print. We recognise the power of feeling in the direction of the sale of the Observer.

“Our precedence has at all times been to make sure the title’s journalism continues to have a number one position within the liberal media panorama and are sure this resolution is correct to offer the Observer a sustainable future.”