Tetley Tea workers to continue pay strike

Workers at a Tetley Tea factory will continue striking in a dispute over pay.

On top of a current walkout, the GMB union said 12 more strike dates at the Eaglescliffe factory near Stockton-on-Tees will be announced and which were "likely to be during the next two months".

It follows accusations of "poverty pay" for its mainly female workforce, the union said.

Tata Consumer Products said the pay claims were "simply not accurate" and it had given two "fair and reasonable" pay offers to the union that had not been presented to the 150 striking workers.

The factory on Teesside is Tetley's biggest and supplies 30% of the UK's tea.

GMB Organiser Paul Clark said: "Tetley Tea workers feel saddened and hurt by the way their employer has treated them".

A statement from Tata Consumer Products said hourly rates were comfortably above the national living wage.

It also said the percentage increase the unions had rejected outpaced the current cost of living index.

Workers were offered a 4.4% pay rise, compared to the 7% they received last year.

Tata said two new pay offers remain on the table.

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