Workers at a flooring manufacturer in Whitefield will remain on strike after failing to reach an agreement with their employer.
GMB members at Polyflor Ltd, a vinyl flooring producer on Radcliffe New Road, will continue an all-out strike after talks with company bosses last Friday failed to end in a resolution.
Union members rejected the company’s offer of a 10 per cent pay rise, starting next month and lasting until December next year, as it failed to include back pay to cover the five months since the pay increase was requested.
The union originally asked for a 10 per cent pay rise to help workers cope with the rising cost of living but it has since revised its demand to nine per cent in an attempt to resolve a stalemate with the company.
READ MORE: Whitefield Polyflor workers plan further strike action
GMB says workers will continue an all-out strike that has seen workers down tools every day for the last six weeks.
They are also in discussion with the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS), a non-departmental government body which provides advice on resolving workplace disputes.
GMB regional organiser John Waddington said: “We’ve asked for nine per cent and a lump sum and they’ve offered 10 per cent and nothing.
“The negotiation period now is December to December next year.
“What [is Polyflor] going to do about the other six months?”
Union members were spotted on Radcliffe New Road once again this morning as part of on-going industrial action which began in September.
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Mr Waddington said GMB members at the company plan to join up with other union members for rallies, including the Communication Workers Union (CWU), who are also involved in ongoing industrial action nationwide.
Strike action at Polyflor began after union members rejected an eight per cent pay offer from the company in the summer.
Bosses responded by suspending shifts for almost 200 workers starting from September 1 prompting walk-outs lasting nearly three months.
A representative for Polyflor declined to comment.
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