ET Heron is facing disruption in its bindery next week after GPMU staff voted in favour of strike action, but the firm hopes that "common sense will prevail".


GPMU Anglia branch secretary Vernon Robson said the 149 staff in the bindery class two chapel had voted two to one in favour of strike action and five to one in favour of industrial action short of a strike. An overtime ban has been in place since 6pm last Friday (22 June).


Robson said the dispute stemmed from the firms installation of a new 18-unit Muller Martini Corona binding line around three months ago.


Heron had refused to give a productivity and new equipment extra payment to class two staff, he claimed, but the firm said the new line hadnt been singled out.


Strike action will start next Tuesday (3 July). Workers coming on shift at 6pm will strike from 6pm until 9pm.


The action will continue with a 6am to 9am strike by the next shift on the Wednesday morning, then 6pm to 9pm when the Wednesday evening shift comes on. A 6am to 9am stoppage on the Friday morning completes the action.


"Hopefully, common sense will prevail," said a company statement, "particularly in view of the recent trading conditions of all magazine printers and the unfortunate downfall of one web printer."


But Robson expected the dispute to attain "good support" from other GPMU chapels.


ET Heron is understood to have assured customers that it has a "robust" contingency plan in place.


Story by Gordon Carson