Recognise our hard work

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

Unite pledged that there would be further strike action in the run-up to Easter, if the management did not enter into constructive talks on pay.

The workers at the Beccles company will walk-out for 24 hours on February 13 in their dispute over the company’s current offer of a two year pay freeze from April 2018.

Unite, which has 75 members at the Copland Way site, said that the management still adamantly refused  to put a firm proposal on the table since the workers first 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 management claim that they want to resolve this dispute, but have shown extreme reluctance in putting a firm pay proposal on the table.

“Our members are taking a fourth day of strike action on February 13 and, if there is no progress on pay, we will be staging further strikes in the run-up to Easter.

“The members have shown a great deal of resilience and solidarity during this dispute, buoyed up by the support from the local community.

“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. It is a shameful indictment of this company which is part of the profitable CPI Group UK.”

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 three days of strike action – in November, December and on January 17. They are already operating an overtime ban.