Crunch talks as Hula Hoops workers reject strike

Workers at KP Crisps had been balloted in a pay dispute with the company

Workers making Hula Hoops, Pom-Bear and Disco crisps have voted against striking in a dispute over pay.

GMB union members working at KP Snacks' factory in Billingham, County Durham, were balloted on whether to take industrial action after declining a salary rise of 77p per hour.

GMB said its workers had asked for an increase of £1 per hour, but when the ballot votes were counted on Tuesday there was not enough support for strike action.

A KP Snacks spokesperson said the company would meet with union officials to "progress any next steps as swiftly as possible", while GMB organiser Fiona Hill said the union had now "re-entered negotiations with the company".

The KP spokesperson said: "We recognise and appreciate the role the union has played in ensuring the process was conducted professionally and constructively."