Workers at a Workington plant are set to take strike action over pay.
The Sun Chemical employees, based in the Amcor site in Salterbeck, are considering industrial action after they were offered a three per cent pay rise.
Sun Chemical is the UK’s only ink manufacturer and 200 of its workers across seven sites in the UK – members of the Unite union – are planning a 24-hour strike on June 9.
An overtime ban will start three days earlier, on June 6. Unite said more strikes would be announced.
Sun Chemical is part of the global DIC corporation. According to the DIC 2021 report, the corporation made £2.5 billion in profits, with its Europe and Africa division, of which Sun Chemical is the largest company, netting profits of £60 million.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “DIC and Sun Chemical generate massive profits so there is no reason at all why our members can’t be given a pay rise that reflects the soaring cost of living.
“Unite will not sit by while super-rich companies add to their wealth but tell their workers to swallow what amounts to a pay cut. Our Sun Chemical members are right to strike over this insulting offer and they will receive Unite’s full support.”
Unite national officer Louisa Bull said: “Sun Chemical should be in no doubt that the strikes will escalate if this dispute is not resolved. There is still time for industrial action to be avoided, but that requires a deal being put forward that our members can accept.”
