Tata Consumer Products, which makes Tetley Tea in Teesside, has issued a statement following GMB members announced more strike days on Wednesday (9).
In addition to the current walkout, the GMB union said it will announce 12 more strike dates “likely to be during the next two months”.
Refuting what the union described as "poverty pay" ahead of the strike action, Tata said, “Whilst supportive of Union members’ rights to protest and strike in a peaceful and lawful way, we remain disappointed by the reluctance of the GMB to present the two pay award offers from us which were shared with Union representatives back in August, before they took the decision to ballot for strike action.
"These offers remain on the table, and we are continuing to urge union members to press their Union representatives to move on this and present the offers to them. Doing so will allow them to decide through ballot on the best course of action for themselves.
"Tata Consumer Products believes both offers presented to be fair and reasonable. The sensational claims being made of ‘poverty pay’ are simply not accurate. Hourly rates are comfortably above the National Living Wage and the percentage increase which the Unions have rejected outpaces the current Cost of Living Index.
"It is now up to the unions to present the outstanding offers to their members. Our own benchmarking and review of vacancies for similar roles shows that our rates of pay are more than competitive when considered against other full-time roles in the area, roles which include rotating shifts which our teams do not have to do.
“We have always taken pride in being a good place to work and know that many of our workers value the working environment and conditions, with paid breaks in all shifts and fixed shifts providing a regular pattern for working hours.”
A plan for a dozen more strike days was announced on Wednesday (9) after around 150 employees at the Tetley manufacturing site in Teesside walked out on Friday (4). Dates of further industrial action, likely to be during the next two months, will be announced in the coming days.
Paul Clark, GMB Organiser, said, “These hard-working, loyal and skilled, predominantly women workers have been backed into a corner by poverty pay and bullying bosses.
“They're fighting back in the only way they can. Tetley Tea workers feel saddened and hurt by the way their employer has treated them. But refuse to back down and will continue to strike until management listens to their concerns."
