Bradford based industrial fridge/freezer maker EPTA is facing severe disruption to its suppliers, as workers are set to take strike action in a dispute over pay.
Around 70 members of the Unite union have voted for industrial action after rejecting a pay offer of four per cent. The workers are paid barely above the minimum wage, despite undertaking skilled work. They have seen their pay differential, compared to the minimum wage, steadily whittled away over recent years.
The workers will take extensive strike action across the second half of this month on 15, 17, 21, 23, 29 and 31 October.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Our members are no longer prepared to accept low pay. They undertake skilled work and yet are paid barely above the minimum wage. EPTA should be ashamed of the manner it is treating its loyal workforce.
“Unite’s complete focus on the jobs, pay and conditions of its members means that the union’s members at EPTA will receive our total support.”
The workers undertake skilled work, where they build, paint, test and pack, industrial fridges and freezer units for major supermarkets. The company’s customers include Tesco, Aldi, Morrisons and the Co-op.
The strike action will inevitably result in a delay in orders being fulfilled and will mean that the supermarkets will not have the fridges and freezers that they need in order to maintain their stock.
Unite regional officer Neil Whitaker said: “Strike action will inevitably cause severe disruption for EPTA’s customers, but this dispute is entirely of the company’s own making. It has had every chance to make a fair offer that recognises the skills of our members but has failed to do so.”
