Hanson Brick workers to strike over pay

Workers at Britain's largest brick manufacturer, Hanson Brick, have voted by a big majority in favour of strike action over pay.

Bob Blackman, national secretary of the TGWU, said: "We have now received the results of a ballot of our members and there is a substantial majority in favour of strike action. It is not marginal. We are now likely to call a series of one-day strikes."

The TGWU is the main union representing the nearly 1,400 operatives at Hanson Brick. Members of the GMB have also voted for industrial action. A ballot of Amicus members closed this week. A joint union meeting to fix strike dates was expected this week.

The ballot result dashes the hopes of the company. It had made revised pay offer said to be worth 3.4% over 15 months. Marketing manager Brian Garratt said: "We really don't expect the workers to vote for strike action."

*Industrial action also continues to loom in the opencast mining sector where contractors have made a 2.3% pay offer for this year.

Bob Blackman said: "This is the most disappointing pay review that I have been involved in. The whole situation as regards opencast coal mining is totally unsatisfactory.

"I accept that there are trading difficulties. But there are obligations that go with a national agreement on pay and conditions. It has got to be meaningful to the people who work on site. At the moment it isn't."