Unite the union members working at LE Pritchitt & Co Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lakeland Dairies, which operates the company’s Global Logistics Centre in Newtownards will take a first week of strike action beginning Wednesday 21 February, in a mounting pay dispute.
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Negotiations ended last week without agreement after management refused to provide an increase which maintained a £1 an hour pay differential with the minimum wage for fully trained production operators.
There are five pay bands for production workers at the factory and the lowest entry grade is currently paid just 10 pene above the minimum wage with fully-trained up production operators paid £11.42 an hour.
With the minimum wage set to increase to £11.44 from April 2024, workers are determined to defend a pay differential paid to experienced operators who are required to be trained on operating three separate pieces of machinery.
The workers rejected an 8.2 percent offer which failed to deliver this objective.
Speaking ahead of the strike, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Lakeland dairies is a hugely successful business which has recorded record profits. That success is built on the commitment and skills of their production workers. It is completely unacceptable that the forthcoming minimum wage increase will surpass all existing pay grades.
“The workforce has the full support of Unite in their fight for a cost of living pay increase that reflects their skills and responsibilities.”
Strike action by operators will bring production at the factory to a standstill. The Newtownards plant is the main producer of premium formulated milk products for the wider Lakeland Dairies group.
Lakeland is one of Ireland’s largest and most successful dairy processing coops with a turnover which rose to €1.9 billion in 2022 with an EBITDA profit of €60.2 million (an increase of 8.8 per cent on the previous year).
Unite regional officer Albert Hewitt said. “Our members are determined that the training and responsibility that is required to operate multi-million pound equipment is properly reflected in their pay. That must mean a £1 pay differential with the minimum wage is maintained. This hugely profitable company can well afford that.
“Strike action by Unite’s members will bring production at Newtownards to a standstill. The cost of any disruption will far outweigh the costs of meeting our members pay claim.
“It is in the interests of the members of this coop to intervene to demand a resolution to this dispute.” ■
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