FINANCIAL Times journalists are to vote on strike action after the

paper's management refused to budge yesterday over plans to pension-off

nine editorial workers on health grounds.

The nine, who have Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) from working on

computer keyboards, were told they are to be compulsorily retired.

The FT's branch of the National Union of Journalists gave management

until lunchtime to withdraw the plan and, when the deadline passed,

members opted unanimously to ballot on industrial action.

Balloting began yesterday and will close at noon next Tuesday when

another chapel (office branch) meeting will be held at 3pm.

Earlier, FT managing editor David Walker refused to reconsider the

decision that the nine should leave.

The ballot asks two questions: whether editorial staff were prepared

to take industrial action including a strike, and whether they would

take action excluding a strike.

Yesterday, chartered physiotherapist Peter Wells said five of the

nine, plus seven other FT journalists, were referred to him by the

company's medical advisers.

''My experience is that each of them is slowly improving,'' he said.

''I would aim to get them back to being able to work at their own

normal output -- but working sensibly.

''That would mean avoiding prolonged periods of keyboarding -- but

that is advice I would give to anybody using a keyboard, whether or not

they now have RSI.''

Mr Walker said the nine facing early retirement would now be asked to

give consent for their records to be examined by management to allow

their situation to be assessed further.

''If we were to get reports from the doctors concerned that there was

a foreseeable time when the individuals concerned would be fully back at

normal work, say next summer, then obviously we would have to consider

that very, very carefully indeed,'' he added.