Nottinghamshire print workers gear up for strike action over ‘insulting’ pay offer

Bosses at a Nottinghamshire print company have been urged to get round the table for ‘meaningful’ pay talks, otherwise 130 workers could walk out on stike, the Unite union has warned.

Unite said its members had voted by 78 per cent at Paragon Customer Communications (Nottingham) for strike action, after the management had originally offered no pay rise for the pay year starting November 2018.

While the ballot was in process, says Unite, the company came back with a 1% offer from 1 November 2018.

Unite regional officer Larry McGlinchey said: “Unite is preparing the notice to be served on the employer outlining strike action at the company in the run-up to Christmas, following the insulting lack of a pay offer originally. Dates will be announced later this week.

“Our members would be prepared to accept a pay offer below the retail price index (RPI) for inflation currently running at 3.3 per cent – but they are not going to accept nothing or one per cent.”

Unite regional secretary for the East Midlands Paresh Patel said: “The situation is not helped by macho management posturing threatening to move the work from Nottinghamshire to other company sites in the UK and Europe – it has just strengthened our members resolve to seek a decent pay rise.

“Now is the time for the management to get around the table for meaningful and constructive talks to settle this dispute – Unite’s door for talks is open 24/7.”

Unite represents about half the estimated 260-strong workforce at the site in Sutton-in-Ashfield.

We contacted Paragon Customer Communications for a statement but the company didn’t reply.