On 4 October, almost 150 members of trade union GMB who work at a Tetley Tea manufacturing facility in Eaglescliffe went on strike over "real terms pay cuts".
According to GMB, police were called to the scene by Tetley owner Tata Consumer Products but took no action over accusations of “intimidating” behaviour by the striking workers.
However, Tata has since applied for an “injunction related to trespass”, in response to which the court issued “ground rules of conduct regarding use of Tata Consumer Products land and behaviour of those taking strike action on strike days”.
According to a statement from Tata, the ground rules are “enforceable by law” and have been accepted by GMB.
“Our priority is for the safety and wellbeing of our employees and any behaviour which contravenes strike rules or threatens the wellbeing of employees will not be tolerated,” the statement concluded.
The Eaglescliffe factory is the only location producing Tetley brand tea bags for the UK and Canadian markets.
‘Workers will not back down’
With a further day of industrial action planned for 10 October, GMB organiser Paul Clark commented: “These women work their fingers to the bone for this company, providing the UK with its favourite cup of tea.
“But they’re paid a pittance and it is just not right. Not only that but, now bosses are trying to sue them for exercising their legal right to strike.
“Tata bosses need to be clear; these women will not be intimidated and will not back down until they’ve won a pay rise that allows them a decent standard of living.”
On the topic of ongoing strike action, a Tata spokesperson added: “We are disappointed with the decision to continue to strike particularly when we have two offers on the table which the Unions decided not to present to members before going to ballot.
“We are urging the Unions to reconsider their position and present the two offers on the table for consideration by members so that we can reach a swift resolution in line with what's reasonably affordable to the business, and in the best interests of the factory.”
In other news, Kellogg’s owner Kellanova has announced plans to invest £75m into its cereal production facility in Wrexham.
