Lord Black agreed to sell his controlling stake in Hollinger International, the Telegraph's parent company, to the Barclay brothers on Sunday for £260m. It is thought that a strike at the paper could affect complicated dealings between Lord Black, the Barclays and the board of Hollinger International.
Staff at the UK's best-selling daily broadsheet, the Daily Telegraph, and Sunday title, the Sunday Telegraph, will vote on whether they support a strike or industrial action short of a strike such as working to rule. They are also seeking an 8% pay rise and have rejected management's offer of 3%.
Charlie Methven, diary editor on the Daily Telegraph and the Union of Journalists father-of-the-chapel, said: "There is a general sense that over the last three to four years management hasn't been totally straight about the financial state of the company."
The decision has been complicated for staff due to the uncertainty surrounding the Barclay brothers' bid to control the paper.
Methven added: "It's very difficult to factor in something when nobody knows what will happen. The Telegraph would be better off with anyone who isn't under investigation for alleged bad behaviour. There is no great dismay over the Barclays."
However, the Telegraph's editorial director Kim Fletcher warned: "If the union sees industrial action as a way of venting their anger, they should ask if it's the right moment given that the company is moving forward toward new management."
Black stepped down as chief executive in November after the board discovered that $32m (£17.3m) in payments to Black and his executives were not authorised. The legal dispute is now heading towards a high-profile court hearing and Hollinger is suing Lord Black and his executives for $200m after alleging that they "diverted and usurped assets and opportunities" and made "systematic breaches of fiduciary duties".
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