British Sugar workers accept pay offer

Unite members at four British Sugar plants in the East of England have reluctantly accepted a 3.5 per cent pay offer.

Unites 250 members – based at the plants at Wissington, near Kings Lynn; Cantley, near Great Yarmouth; Bury St Edmunds; and Newark in Nottinghamshire – decided to accept the offer after there was insufficient support for industrial action.

Unites regional officer, Tony Ellingford said: Our members have unhappily and reluctantly accepted the companys pay offer the decision was taken in the context of the grim economic climate that does not look like improving under the coalition government.

Our members did hold an industrial action ballot, but it was deemed that there was insufficient support, by a narrow margin, for such action.
 
Unite had been seeking a pay deal equal to Retail Price Index (RPI) inflation for the year April 2011- April 2012 for its members who include engineers and production staff.