The employees that do remain at Southernprint have agreed to take a 10% pay cut, concluding a process that began in November last year.

Wyndeham Press Group chief operating officer Roy Kingston said: "We have reached an amicable agreement with the union."

Upton-based Southernprint announced a consultation with employees at its main site and Ferndown-based subsidiary Southern Binders in November last year.

It was speculated at the time that the company would opt to close its in-house bindery and move the equipment to Southern Binders.

However, a statement from the company said: "Southern Binders will be closing but the date is yet to be confirmed, which is based upon meeting our customers’ requirements."

In total, 101 employees will be made redundant, 42 of which are based at Southernprint, with the remainder currently at Southern Binders.

Unite national officer Steve Sibbald said: "We are pleased to have reached a settlement at Southern-print; our local officer Martin Hodges did a sterling job keeping it all together. It was a majority decision to accept the terms so our members are satisfied with the outcome.

"Hopefully the company will grow stronger and start employing again – that is the most important thing."

All Southernprint employees are subject to a 10% pay reduction and Unite said all staff would be moved to a 42-hour-a-week shift pattern, which Unite claimed would see some employees’ overall pay increase.

It is understood Southernprint also informed the union that a pay review was unlikely in the next two years.

Sibbald added: "We will be playing pay rises by ear. If the company is successful and profitable in a year’s time, we will go back to them, but I don’t see many companies being successful and profitable in a year’s time."

Southernprint owner Walstead acquired additional binding capacity when it bought Apple Web Offset in October 2010.

SOUTHERNPRINT RESTRUCTURE
• 101 staff made redundant: 42 at Southernprint; 59 at Southern Binders
• 42-hour-a-week shift pattern across the board
• No pay review for staff at Southernprint within two years