A union official has spoken of his delight at a U-turn by Gates Power Transmission in a row over pay.
The company has offered an increase to workers after a strike threat.
The staff staged a ballot for industrial action following the “insult” of a proposal for a pay freeze for two years despite working through the pandemic to produce rubber belts for ventilators.
GMB officials met management last Thursday for talks and eventually hammered out a 2.5 per cent rise over two years and without conceding the workforce’s paid breaks to fund the wages boost
Scotland organiser for the GMB, Ude Joe-Adigwe said: “We are delighted and we’re recommending our members accept the offer.
“We will now ballot the staff next week and hopefully have the result within two or three days.
“The vote for industrial action has now been suspended and we’ll now ballot members for the company’s offer and we fully expect them to fully accept it.”
He told how furious workers rejected the pay freeze offer for two years and also kicked out a 0.5 per cent rise staggered over 18 months.
Mr Joe-Adigwe added: “We have had more people at the factory sign up for union membership as a result of this.
“They were really angry at the situation. But now they are very pleased and it is a very positive result.
“We are also pleased the company agreed to our demand there would be no part funding of this (pay rise) by taking away paid breaks.”
Gates Power Transmission has a workforce of more than 400 people and a third were members of the GMB union before the pay issue flared.
South of Scotland MSP Colin Smyth, said: “I welcome the decision by Gates to up their pay offer to workers and all credit to the GMB union for fighting successfully for a better deal.
“Industrial action is always a last result by workers but hopefully the focus can return to what everyone wants and that’s ensuring the factory continues in a sustainable way because I recognise how important these jobs are to the local economy.”
