Stoke Industrial Action Put on Hold

The Transport & General Workers Union (T&G) has agreed hold off on planned industrial action for seven days. Union members at Michelin’s Stoke-on-Trent plant had agreed to work to rule, but the decision was suspended following a “positive” meeting with management. If no agreement on the pay offer can be reached, the industrial action will go ahead on 11 March, the Birmingham Post reported. A planned demonstration will also be postponed, the newspaper added.

Margaret Armstrong, T&G regional industrial organiser, said: “We have started to discuss the foundations of an agreement which we believe we can build upon. The union has therefore agreed to a seven-day suspension of the planned action to allow discussions to continue. Michelin have a window of opportunity now to avert action. The T&G will do all we can to find a negotiated settlement, but the company must be in absolutely no doubt that if no agreement is reached in the next few days our members will have no hesitation in taking action.”

Ms Armstrong confirmed that mass meetings would be convened at the Stoke site early next week and members would be balloted on any new offer. The planned action involved a ban on overtime and a work to rule, and withdrawal from co-operation. There are nearly 400 T&G members at the factory. In the recent ballot they supported strike action by almost three to one and industrial action short of strikes by just over four to one.