Unite members working for the Sunderland based print company, Paragon will take two more days of 24 hour strike action on Tuesday 24th July and on Friday 27th July over an attack on their terms and conditions.
The company is trying to impose significant reductions to industry standard shift and overtime premiums on the workers, despite a major increase in profits last year.
Workers at the company have already faced seven years of wage freezes.
The changes to the shift and overtime premiums are only being made to union members who work on production while other workers at the business are unaffected.
Unite national officer, Steve Sibbald said: “After seven years of pay freezes and now a major attack on terms and conditions our members have had enough. Unite members voted unanimously for strike action in June, and they have already taken two days of strike action. They are determined to stop this attack on their livelihoods. “
Unite regional officer Dave Telford said: “Our members are not asking for anything, quite the opposite, they even offered concessions, despite the seven year pay freeze. The concessions were rejected by the employer which is not interested in any proposal that did not deliver the savings it wants out of our member’s pay packets. Unite members who work on production are the only group of employees having their terms and conditions cut. The managers are not giving up one penny toward addressing the problems.”
The picket will be at Pallion Trading Estate, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear SR4 6ST on Tuesday, 24th July.
Messages of support to Unite members can be sent to Dave.Telford@unitetheunion.org
ITN News Report – click here
Sunderland Echo Report – click here
Print Week Report – click here
Unite Press release – click here
Paragon Dispute settled – Print Week Report
