Workers at a construction products firm are being balloted for strike action over a “derisory” pay offer.
Unite the Union has begun balloting 300 employees at five Marshalls sites across England after rejecting a £700 pay rise for all staff for 2024.
According to the union, negotiations have been going on since the summer and the offer of a lump sum was made instead of a percentage deal.
Unite argued that London Stock Exchange-listed Marshalls was “highly profitable” and could therefore afford to increase its offer. It added that “workers will not accept its derisory pay offer”.
Staff in West Yorkshire, Cleveland, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Lancashire have until 11 November to decide on whether to stage a walk-out.
Unite national officer Jason Poulter said: “Marshalls can well afford to put forward a fair pay deal for this year. Strike action can still be avoided but that requires Marshalls to table an offer our members can accept.”
The union highlighted financial results for 2023 that included revenue of £671.2m and an adjusted operating profit of £70.7m.
But in June, the firm posted a 13 per cent decline in revenue for the first six months of this year. In its financial update, the firm said revenue was down to £306.7m compared with £354.1m for the same period in 2023.
The same month, the firm took part in Fair Tax Week to highlight its commitment to business transparency and corporate responsibility. It said it paid “the right amount of tax, at the right time, in the right place”.
Marshalls said in a statement: “We are aware that Unite is in the process of balloting their members after rejecting the 2024 pay offer. We have since made an updated two-year offer.
“We await the outcome of the ballot and continue to work with the union to find a satisfactory resolution.”
