Staff at Ideal Standard’s Staffordshire factory have voted to take strike action, following disputes over their pay.
According to the GMB Union, 87% of staff members at the factory have voted in favour of the strike action, citing several years of below-inflation wages.
The union also said that as well as being disappointed by the rates of pay, workers have also not been satisfied by the pay uplift from the company.
The BBC has reported that of the 299 union members at the factory, 239 took part in the vote, with 207 voting in favour of a strike.
In response, Ideal Standard has told kbbreview it is “working hard to reach a resolution”, and has reassured its customers and suppliers that it is working to minimise any potential disruption.
When asked for comment, a spokesperson for Ideal Standard said: ” Our joint negotiating committee of union representatives and managers at the site are working hard to reach a resolution as swiftly as possible, finding a solution that takes into account the interests of our people as much as our current business situation.
“We would like to reassure our customers and suppliers that we are doing everything we can to minimise any potential disruption to the delivery of our products and services and will provide further updates in due course.”
According to a Business Live article published in 2019, the GMB Union has previously criticised Ideal Standard for its plans to cut jobs at its Hull facility, in favour of outsourcing the work to Egypt.
According to the BBC, GMB regional organiser Justine Jones commented: “Every worker deserves decent pay – but years of below-inflation pay have left Ideal Standard’s workers struggling financially, especially as we are still in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis.
“We have engaged with the company in good faith, showing clearly what the workers deserve following years of below-par pay increases and the employer needs to take their employees seriously.”
