Win for family values

Victory came Tuesday (January 13), as workers of world-famous jacket maker Barbour in Gateshead accepted a significantly improved offer following talks at Acas.

 
When Barbour violated its own supposed “family values”, by pushing contracts on its staff that would force them to work late into the night or face being sacked, workers took action.

 
Taking to task their employer after forced changes to their contracts, which included the removal of unsocial hours payments and the requirement for some to work from 6:30am to 11pm, Barbour’s Unite members took six-days of strike action in December, with an additional one of four weeks of planned stoppages.

 
The new offer sees substantial increases in pay and the option of day shift work for those with family and caring responsibilities.

 
Unite regional officer Fazia Hussain-Brown hailed the commitment of its workers to demand fairer pay and conditions.

 
“This hard won outcome would not have been possible without the resolve of the workers who face being sacked if they didn’t sign up to inferior contracts,” she said.

 
“They stood up in the face of an employer who sought to ride roughshod over their rights and won significant concessions,” Hussain added. “We trust that we can now move forward with the employer in a spirit of cooperation and ensure the Barbour brand continues to be a global success story.”