After holding its second 24-hour walk-out on 20 December, the union announced today (4 January) that its 75 members at the Beccles, Suffolk operation will go ahead with the third of four planned days of action. The final one is scheduled for 13 February.

Union representatives claimed that management had “adamantly refused” to enter talks over the dispute in the wake of December’s strike.

The strike was voted for by a 71% majority in April last year when, following a 14-year period during which workers received just two pay rises, management from the CPI Group parent company sought to implement a two-year pay freeze, according to Unite. The last pay rise had been a 1% bump in 2017.

An overtime ban is also in place.

Unite regional officer Mark Walker said: “The management at CPI William Clowes needs to recognise the continual hard work that our loyal members put in year in, year out.

“This dedicated workforce has only had two pay rises in the last 14 years. It is a shameful indictment of this company, which is part of the profitable CPI Group UK.

“The bosses have adamantly refused to engage in a constructive dialogue with Unite since the workers took a day’s strike action just before Christmas. If this antediluvian attitude to modern employment relations continues, more industrial action will definitely be on the cards.”

Commercial print operation CPI William Clowes employs a workforce of 110 and it is not clear whether the base will be able to sustain its full operations on the remaining 35 staff while the strike takes place.

CPI William Clowes management had not responded to request for comment at the time of writing.