Denby pottery workers vote to strike over pay

Staff at a Derbyshire ceramics firm have voted to take industrial action in a row over pay.

About 180 employees at Denby Pottery and Burleigh Pottery in Stoke, part of the Denby Holdings group, have agreed to take action.

The Unity union says workers have been offered little or no pay increases over the past five years despite being asked to hit strict targets.

Denby Holdings confirmed staff had not been offered a pay rise this year.

Harry Hockaday, general secretary of Unity, said members were disappointed after being told by their employer to make improvements to the way they work.

He said: "The only offer the company were prepared to put on the table was that if they (the workers) again hit another high profit margin, they would receive a lump sum payment of £100 which would be paid in March next year, which is just not acceptable."

Mr Hockaday said 80% of the 220 workers at Denby are Unity union members and 90% of members had voted for industrial action.

Denby Holdings declined to comment further to the BBC.