AOL UK is preparing to cut over half the editorial jobs at its newsroom operation, according to NUJ insiders, with a number of positions outsourced to India.

The NUJ, representing AOL's editorial staff, has voted to hold a ballot for industrial action with 100 percent of members in favour. The union estimates the number of editorial jobs cut from 39 to 17 across the UK operation.

It is also thought that seven staff in the design team are particularly vulnerable to relocation to India.

According to the union, it had been thought until last week that the job cuts could be no more than 13. But a source in the union chapel later confirmed this figure was a "best-case scenario" presented to employees by the company.

The union said that it is participating in consultations ahead of the restructuring.

AOL is understood to be engaged in a 30-day consultation process with the union, which is currently calling for possible voluntary redundancies. An AOL spokeswoman refused to comment on the redundancies and only said that the situation was "ongoing," the Guardian reported.