Workers at the dairy producer Dale Farm will not strike now, having voted to accept a new pay deal.
Trade union Unite had announced strike action at the Dale Farm group, which had been scheduled to begin yesterday (Wednesday, August 20).
Engineers and drivers at multiple Dale Farm production sites, including in Northern Ireland, had threatened the initial three-day strike action.
Unite claimed that pay for Dale Farm workers is lower than it is for industry comparators in Northern Ireland.
The trade union confirmed to Agriland today (Thursday, August 21) that a significantly improved offer was made by management after workers announced escalating strike action.
The result of the ballot brings the dispute at Cookstown, Ballymena, Omagh and Enniskillen sites of the Northern Ireland dairy producer to an end.
Pay deal
Members of Unite employed as drivers and engineers at four Dale Farm sites across Northern Ireland have voted decisively to accept a pay offer worth an extra 4.75%.
General secretary of Unite, Sharon Graham said: “Dale Farm workers have scored a clear win on pay. This result demonstrates the importance of having strong unions in the workplace to deliver on workers’ jobs, pay and conditions.”
Unite has stated that the pay deal represents a significant improvement from the 3% increase originally offered by management.
The trade union said that drivers will now receive an additional increase on their bulk tank allowance and engineers will receive an additional maintenance payment, both of which are worth 1.75%.
Unite represents approximately 100 workers at the four production sites in Cookstown, Ballymena, Omagh, and Enniskillen.
Unite regional officer for the workforce, Simon Hall said: “Unite members have voted to accept a significantly improved pay offer. This goes some way towards improving the rate of pay of a skilled workforce.
“We will continue to build union strength with the aim of ensuring Dale Farm’s success is properly shared with its employees.”
Dale Farm
A spokesperson for Dale Farm said: "Following a process of collective conciliation, we have reached agreement with Unite the union and a small group of our workforce, bringing this matter to a resolution.
“This agreement means there will be no industrial action in the coming weeks, allowing all parties to focus on delivering quality dairy products for our customers and consumers, and our farmers can be assured that milk will continue to be collected as normal.
“As a cooperative, we value our employee relations and are committed to continuing to foster a supportive workplace and values led culture."
