Union Unite said yesterday (5 July) that 90-plus workers, including printers, engineers, and conversion operatives, have overwhelmingly voted to take industrial action.
The full list of strike dates are: 18 and 20 July, 1, 3, 15 and 17 August, and 5, 7, 19 and 21 September.
Further dates may be announced in the coming weeks if the dispute is not resolved, Unite said, and in addition to the industrial action there will be a continuous overtime ban.
“The industrial action is a result of the company only being prepared to offer an 8% strings attached pay increase. The offer is real terms pay cut with the true rate of inflation (RPI) currently standing at 11.3%,” Unite stated.
According to the union, Cepac has said the 8% increase is dependent on the working week increasing from 37 to 40 hours, an inferior sick pay scheme, changes to shift patterns, and reduced overtime rates.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Cepac has been caught red-handed. This is a profitable company refusing to give its workers a decent rise and combining that with a con trick on terms and conditions.
“Unite’s members at Cepac will receive the union’s absolute backing.”
Cepac produces corrugated packaging and serves clients including HBCP, whose customers include Greggs, Costa, Subway, and Pret, along with C&D Foods Group, whose customers include Aldi, Tesco, Morrisons, and Asda. Other customers include Mars, Carlsberg, Innocent Drinks, Pernod, Lidl, Sainsbury’s, and Diageo.
Unite regional officer Pat McCourt added: “This dispute is entirely of Cepac’s own making. Unite has tried to resolve this issue through negotiation but the company has refused to make a fair offer. The strings attached to the present offer has caused huge resentment among the company’s loyal workforce.
“Cepac needs to stop prevaricating and return to the negotiating table with an offer which meets our members’ expectations.”
In reply to a request for a response from Printweek, Cepac group managing director Steve Moss described the Unite statement as “incorrect, unhelpful and misleading”.
He stated: “The Unite press release uses some unfortunate language. The company has always sought to negotiate with employees and representatives in a constructive and open manner. Our Darlington site continues to face challenging trading conditions and financial losses, which has all been shared with employees and their representatives.
“The need for additional flexibility, including a change in the working week for a proportion of employees, is to secure the future of the business. This is accompanied by a realistic pay award ranging from 8% to 17.5%, dependent upon roles.
“Unfortunately, Unite seem unprepared to enter constructive discussions, which is regrettable. Any form of industrial action can only damage our business further still and place future growth in a precarious position.”
Moss explained that the focus now was to ensure customers were kept supplied and reassured during this period.
“Our focus is upon our customers, and many of our employees share our desire to keep our customers supplied and work constructively together to do that. We can only continue to urge Unite to engage in this matter. I cannot emphasise enough the serious consequences of industrial action for our business and all employees.”
