Workers at flooring manufacturer to strike over pay dispute

Almost 200 staff at a Greater Manchester flooring factory are due to go on strike tomorrow (7 September) over a pay dispute.

Polyflor in Whitefield, Bury, is a leading manufacturer of vinyl floor coverings and part of listed James Halstead.

Its workers are members of general union GMB which after months of negotiations has rejected the company’s final pay offer.

They are now due to go on strike tomorrow but have been told by the company to not turn up for their shifts this week, a move the GMB has described as a “vindictive attack.”

Stephen Boden, GMB Regional Organiser, said: “GMB has written to the company demanding an explanation.

“This looks like a vindictive attack on workers due to take legitimate industrial action over pay.

“GMB members are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis, all they are looking for is a fair settlement of a 10 per cent – which is still below inflation.

“Meanwhile the company dishes out £24 million to shareholders

“GMB is encouraging bosses to get back around the table and enter meaningful negotiations to bring the dispute to a close.”

A spokesperson for Polyflor said: “The closing down and restarting of the factory, for a 2 hour withdrawal of labour as organised by the GMB, is significantly problematical and this, combined with supplier problems and a shortage of labour, huge energy cost increases has and continues to impact our production.

“Labour shortages are normally covered the changing of some shift patterns of certain workers or by overtime but the industrial action by the GMB is preventing these options.

“Due to economical inefficiencies, this has resulted in the entire shutdown of the factory on those days.

“Whilst we have not laid off any of our employees they have, unavoidably, been unable to work on days when the factory is closed.

“We remain in close dialogue with our employees to try and resolve this situation.”