9:20am Monday 15th March 2010
By Mike Laycock
A RUMBLING pay row at Nestlé’s York factory is set to turn into a national dispute.
The Press has reported previously how hundreds of York craft and process workers voted overwhelmingly in a “straw poll” last month for a ballot to be held on industrial action over pay.
The vote came after the company rejected a claim for a 2.5 per cent increase – saying it would be irresponsible to raise wages in such tough times – but offered a higher factory bonus.
Members of the GMB and Unite unions voted 504-36 in favour of a ballot to determine whether they would support industrial action, initially short of a strike.
But now John Kirk of the GMB, who jointly represents both unions in pay negotiations, has revealed that another straw poll is to be held for members working at all Nestlé UK sites across Britain.
He said York workers had been the first to be faced by a pay freeze because the factory was first in this year’s pay bargaining round, but the same deal was now being offered across the country to all Nestlé UK workers, including people working in the coffee and water business.
He said that as a result, the “straw poll ballot” in York would no longer apply, and another such straw poll would have to be organised nationwide by the unions – with York workers having to vote again.
A Nestlé spokesman said: “The company will make every effort to continue the discussions through the formal channels.”
Mr Kirk had claimed previously that Nestlé was using the recession to impose a pay freeze for 2010, at a time when the factory was more productive than ever before and inflation had risen above three per cent.
But the company has said its “engaged and positive” workers had helped it achieve a good year in tough times and they would share in the success of 2009, but 2010 was set to be even tougher and more unpredictable, and it would be irresponsible to increase costs it controlled, including wages and salaries.
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.yorkpress.co.uk