Unite members at the corrugated packaging company Smurfit Kappa's Northampton plant started working to rule today (24 March) and instigated a month-long overtime ban in a bid to get their colleagues reinstated.

The 108 union members at the site will also go on a 48-hour strike on 1-2 April "unless the stewards are immediately reinstated", after 60% voted in favour of strike action and 73% voted in favour of action short of a strike.

Unite claimed that the two dismissed staff - a senior steward and a deputy senior steward - had been sacked after they "stood up to the company over 'race to the bottom' contracts and alleged incorrect bonus payments".

Unite regional officer Mick Orpin said: "This fast moving dispute was initially in relation to the dismissal of our deputy senior steward and the suspension of our senior steward. However, since the work to rule action was agreed - our senior steward has now also been dismissed.

"In both cases it can be argued that this is a direct attack on our stewards and the fabric of our union for the following reasons.

"Both stewards were instrumental in bringing a claim against the employer for the incorrect payment of a bonus, going back a number and years, and has the potential of costing the company over £250,000. The case is due to be heard in the courts during April and is fully backed by Unite.

"Both our members were instrumental in resisting second generation contracts being introduced into the workplace last year which would have meant new starters getting paid less than existing workers for the same job.

"We call on Smurfit Kappa to reinstate the two stewards immediately – the management is behaving in a manner more suited to the industrial relations of 19th century than as a modern economy which is the world’s sixth largest."

Smurfit Kappa had yet to respond to a request for comment at the time of writing.