The fourth day of strike action within the past few weeks took place on 10 October, with almost 150 GMB members employed at the factory reported to be involved.
The site in Eaglescliffe is the only facility that produces Tetley branded tea and owned by Indian FMCG firm Tata Consumer Products.
In response to the escalation, Tata has said that it issued two separate pay offers to GMB in August 2024.
The additional strike dates are likely to take place over the course of the next few months, with further details set to be announced shortly.
Comments from GMB and Tata
Paul Clark, GMB organiser, commented: “These hard-working, loyal and skilled, predominantly women workers have been backed into a corner by poverty pay and bullying bosses. They're fighting back in the only way they can.
"Tetley Tea workers feel saddened and hurt by the way their employer has treated them, but refuse to back down and will continue to strike until management listens to their concerns.”
Meanwhile, Tata issued the following statement: “Whilst supportive of Union members’ rights to protest and strike in a peaceful and lawful way, we remain disappointed by the reluctance of the GMB to present the two pay award offers from us which were shared with Union representatives back in August, before they took the decision to ballot for strike action.
“These offers remain on the table, and we are continuing to urge union members to press their Union representatives to move on this and present the offers to them. Doing so will allow them to decide through ballot on the best course of action for themselves.
“Tata Consumer Products believes both offers presented to be fair and reasonable.”
Tata also used the statement to dispute the claim made by GMB that workers at the factory were in receipt of “poverty pay”.
“The sensational claims being made of ‘poverty pay’ are simply not accurate,” it read.
“Hourly rates are comfortably above the National Living Wage and the percentage increase which the Unions have rejected outpaces the current Cost of Living Index. It is now up to the Unions to present the outstanding offers to their members.”
