Polyflor in Whitefield suspends shifts ahead of walkout

Staff at the flooring firm were due to down tools on Wednesday

A flooring company has shut down its operations ahead of a walkout by almost 200 workers in a dispute over pay.

Employees at Polyflor Ltd in Whitefield, Greater Manchester, were due to go on strike on Wednesday.

But GMB said staff were told not to turn up for their shifts, describing it as an "vindictive attack on workers due to take legitimate industrial action".

Polyflor said "economically inefficiencies" had resulted in the "entire shutdown of the factory".

The union said workers had been told not to turn up for their shifts since Thursday.

It comes after GMB members rejected the company's final pay offer of 8% which included changes to their terms and conditions.

GMB regional organiser Stephen Boden said: "Members are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis, all they are looking for is a fair settlement of 10% - which is still below inflation.

"Meanwhile the company dishes out £24m to shareholder.

"GMB is encouraging bosses to get back around the table and enter meaningful negotiations to bring the dispute to a close."

'Continued dialogue'

But a spokesman for Polyflor Ltd said: "The closing down and restarting of the factory, for a two-hour withdrawal of labour as organised by the GMB, is significantly problematical.

"This, combined with supplier problems and a shortage of labour, huge energy cost increases has and continues to impact our production.

"Due to economically 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 and continued dialogue with our employees to try and resolve this situation."