Flooring manufacturer to be hit by strike over ‘paltry’ pay offer
A Derbyshire flooring manufacturer is set to be hit by strike action after unions branded a pay offer as “paltry”.
More than 70 production workers at Forbo Flooring UK in Ripley, Derbyshire will walk out in ten 48 hour strikes, according to the Unitev union.
The strikes were announced on the eve of two European directors of the multinational company flying in for what Unite is calling a “crunch meeting” today (Thursday 3 October) at the High Holborn Road site.
The first 48 hour strike – the first in recent times – will start on 15 October and be followed by 48 hour strikes on 22 and 29 October. There will be 48 hour strikes starting on 5, 12, 19 and 26 November. In December, the 48 hour strikes will commence on 3, 10 and 17 December. All the strikes will start at 00.01.
This will be accompanied by a continuous overtime ban commencing on 00.01 on 15 October.
Unite members voted 61% for strike action and by 60 per cent for industrial action short of strike action to reject a 2.2% pay offer for the year starting 1 January 2019.
Unite regional officer Cheryl Pidgeon said: “Our members will be striking for the first time in recent years over a paltry pay offer that does not keep pace with the soaring cost of living.
“The current poor employment relations at the Ripley site are compounded by a culture which, we say, undervalues and disrespects our members. Because of this serious deterioration in employment practices, two European directors are flying in for a crunch meeting tomorrow.
“The management has now threatened our members that they will withdraw company sick pay to those who go on strike which we believe is illegal – this is yet another indication of the parlous state of employee relations.
“That said, there is now a window of opportunity before the first 48 hour strike begins on 15 October for the local management to improve both its pay offer and the employment relations’ environment.
“We believe that the industrial action will have a dramatic adverse impact on the company’s production schedules, so it is in its interests to sit down with Unite for constructive negotiations.”
A spokesperson for Forbo Flooring UK said: “Our contact in these negotiations are the social partners with whom we are in ongoing conversations/negotiations.
“These social partners are our dialogue partners and not the press. We kindly ask you to respect this.”
