‘Shameful’ pay freeze

Print workers at Suffolk firm, CPI William Clowes, who have been given just two pay rises in the last 14 years, will take a third day of  strike action on Thursday, January 17.

The workers at the Beccles company will walk-out for 24 hours on January 17 in their dispute over the company’s offer of a two year pay freeze from April 2018.

Unite which has 75 members at the Copland Way site, said that the management had adamantly refused  to hold constructive talks since the workers last took a day’s strike action on December 20.

“The management at CPI William Clowes needs to recognise the continual hard work that our loyal members put in year in, year out,” said Unite regional officer Mark Walker. “The background to their legitimate pay grievances is that this dedicated workforce has only had two pay rises in the last 14 years.

“There was one per cent in 2017 and the previous one was about a decade ago,” he added. “It is a shameful indictment of this company which is part of the profitable CPI Group UK. The bosses have adamantly refused to engage in a constructive dialogue with Unite since the workers took a day’s strike action just before Christmas.

“If this antediluvian attitude to modern employment relations continues, more industrial action will definitely be on the cards.”

The workers voted by 71 per cent for strike action and by 87 per cent for industrial action short of a strike.

They have already taken two days of strike action – in November and December – and have a fourth day planned for February 13. They are already operating an overtime ban.