Extra ÂŁ1k a year

Workers at a Japanese firm based in Wigton, Cumbria are delighted to have accepted an extra ÂŁ1000 a year on their annual salary following talks between the unions and management.

Following productive talks, Futamura agreed to a 3.9 per cent pay increase. The increase took effect this January. The deal compares favourably to ONS figures reported today (January 24) showing average total wages were up by just 2.3 per cent.

The Japanese company which manufactures cellulose films completed an acquisition of the Wigton plant in 2016.

“The workers at Futamura are delighted to have accepted an extra ÂŁ1000 a year,” said Unite regional officer Ryan Armstrong.

“Following productive discussions between the union and the company, the workforce at Futamura in Cumbria received a boost in their pay at a time when wages across the region are stagnating.

“It shows that being part of a union pays. It also makes a difference when management have a positive approach to unions and are prepared to recognise the contribution workers make to the success of the business.”

This month Unite launched a powerful online tool to help workers secure a fair share of company profits amid the worst pay stagnation since the Napoleonic Wars.

Unite’s new online tool will mean that in just a few minutes, union reps can generate a professional pay claim.

At the click of a mouse the tool allows union reps to gather the latest up-to-date information from Companies House, the Office for National Statistics and the union’s own database containing the details of tens of thousands of pay deals.

The Pay Claim Generator was designed as part of Unite’s industrial strategy entitled Work, Voice, Pay which is about empowering union members by giving them the tools and support in the workplace to help them win at work.

Find out more about Unite’s Pay Claim Generator here.