Almost 200 workers at a floor company have been laid off after voting to strike.
Staff at Polyflor Ltd, in Whitefield will down tools tomorrow
But ahead of the strike, all workers taking industrial action received a messaged from the company saying ‘process shifts for process workers continue to be suspended…please do not turn up for your shift(s) from 6am on Monday 5th September.’
The company is a leading manufacturer of vinyl floorcoverings.
After months of delays and several weeks of negotiations, GMB members have rejected the company’s final pay offer.
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.”
The Company have issued the following statement to us
“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.”
