St Ives has assured customers they aren't at risk from a dispute with the GPMU over the annual wage offer to its web division staff.


GPMU members are refusing to work overtime at the division's Peterborough and Andover plants. St Ives has offered "somewhere in the region of 3%", according to GPMU president Ray Williams, but the union is looking for around 4%.


"They are not covered by the National Agreement," he added. "People think they should be rewarded by the company paying at least something better than inflation, which was around 3.3% in July."


Williams said there were also "outstanding issues" at St Ives Roche and Plymouth, but Gillingham is unaffected as it is covered by a three-year wage deal.


Web division managing director David Emeny said: "The main effect is on perfect binding. If St Ives Web gives an over-inflation increase it gives the GPMU clout talking to other print groups." But Williams said: "I wouldn't use our members in that way."


Emeny thought that "once we get an agreement at Andover and Peterborough we'll get a similar one at Roche and Plymouth".


One customer said: "We're very pleased St Ives has taken a proactive stance in informing us about this and we should be seen to be supporting them."


Around 1,500 of the web division's shopfloor staff are GPMU members.


In an unrelated dispute, the GPMU is balloting members at St Ives Caerphilly after 15 staff were made redundant. "Everybody there is really angry because some of the redundancies weren't necessary," said Williams. Emeny said: "I don't believe the union or ourselves want to see a strike. It was a response to market conditions."


Story by Gordon Carson