Caterpillar NI staff ends strike after 'strong' response to direct pay offer

Caterpillar has facilities in Larne and Belfast

A strike at the manufacturing company Caterpillar has ended, the company has confirmed.

It comes after a pay offer was made directly to its Northern Ireland workforce after the firm failed to reach agreement with trade union Unite.

In a statement on Monday, the company said the response to its offer had been "strong and favourable".

"We are pleased the union has cancelled its additional weeks of industrial action," the statement said.

Members of the Unite union, employed by the firm in Larne and Belfast, have been on strike since April.

Last week, Caterpillar said it was going directly to the workforce because a 14-month process had not produced a resolution.

Members of the Unite union, employed by Caterpillar in Larne and Belfast, have been on strike since April

The firm has emphasised that it was not attempting to de-recognise the union.

In a letter to staff it said: "We are not walking away from our relationship with the union and remain committed to collective bargaining procedures for future terms and conditions."

Caterpillar said it was offering a 9% base salary increase effective from 1 April 2022 and a one-time lump sum equal to 2.6% of wages earned from 1 April 2021 to 1 April 2022.

The package also includes an annual opportunity to cash in up to two days of leave.

However, last week, George Brash, Unite regional officer, described the move as "a direct attack on the trade union".

Interface workers end strike

Meanwhile, workers at flooring company, Interface Europe, Craigavon, have ended their strike after a week.

They vote overwhelmingly to accept a ​15.25% pay increase.

Workers had went on strike after management had rejected their 11% pay claim.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham called it "a big win" and an "inflation-busting pay increase" for all members at Interface.

The union said the offer translated to a real-terms improvement of more than 3.5%.

Unite regional officer Neil Moore said the strike was not only about pay but about workers "standing up for respect in their workplace".