‘Depth of anger’

The first industrial action at leading Derbyshire crane manufacturer Street Crane for 20 years is due to take place as the company has been unwilling to engage in constructive pay talks, Unite said today (October 10).

Unite represents about 35 production staff at the Chapel-en-le-Frith factory who voted unanimously for 12 days of strike action, after rejecting a 2.5 per cent pay offer for the year starting July 2018.

The first of the 24 hour stoppages is scheduled to start at just past midnight on Monday (October 15) and followed by strikes on October 22 and 29 and November 5.

If the dispute is not settled by then, four 48 hour stoppages will go ahead on November 12, 19 and 26 and  December 3, all commencing at 12.01am.

Unite regional coordinating officer Shaun Lee said, “We have met with a brick wall, as the management have refused to negotiate in a constructive fashion.

“Our members have rejected the 2.5 per cent offer as they face rising household bills demonstrated by the retail price index (RPI) which is currently running at 3.5 per cent.

“The fact that our members voted by 100 per cent for strike action and that this is the first industrial action in 20 years shows the depth of anger our dedicated members feel at the hardline attitude adopted by this profitable company,” he added.

“The strikes will hit orders to the firm’s customer base, which is an added incentive for the management to come to the table and negotiate a fair settlement for our members.”

On its website, the company says it has 70 years of crane building experience and is one the world’s largest manufacturers of overhead cranes, hoists and crane components.