Factory workers vote in favour of strike action

Union members at Ideal Standard in Rugeley have voted in favour of strike action

Workers at a bathroom factory in Staffordshire have voted to take strike action in a dispute over pay.

The GMB union said 87% of its members at Ideal Standard’s Armitage distribution centre and production facility in Rugeley had voted in favour of industrial action.

It said workers had suffered years of pay cuts in real terms, and had been left disappointed by the pay uplift put forward by the company.

Ideal Standard said it was working to find a solution "as swiftly as possible" and doing everything it could to minimise disruption.

GMB regional organiser Justine Jones said 239 of its 299 members at the factory took part in the vote with 207 voting in favour of taking strike action.

She said: "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."

An Ideal Standard spokesperson 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."

It reassured its customers and suppliers that it would do what it could to minimise any potential disruption to deliveries and services.