CWU - Capita staff in Darwen to vote on strike action

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SIX-hundred communication workers will be balloting for strike action from today.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) members at India Mill, Darwen, are taking part in the ballot for industrial action as part of a dispute over pay.

The workers involved are employed by Capita and work on the BBC TV Licensing contract.

According to union officials, the profitable company is refusing to make an acceptable pay offer to staff working on the TV licensing contract.

They claim that newly employed staff in Darwen are only receiving wages slightly above the minimum wage.

CWU members have already rejected a two-year offer for 2010 and 2011 made by the company claiming that it was ‘wholly unacceptable’ in a consultative ballot.

The outcome of that ballot was an 88.4 per cent rejection to the proposal put forward by Capita.

The union said that Capita’s management are refusing to improve the offer stating the current economic climate as its reason behind its stance.

As a result of Capita’s position, CWU nationally issued the company with the statutory notice of a ballot for strike action today.

The ballot closes on September 23 and if there is an overwhelming majority, the Darwen workers could be striking after seven days of the results.

CWU official David Wilshire said: “CWU members working on this contract for Capita have overwhelmingly rejected Capita’s proposal and the company needs to take note of the strength of feeling both in Bristol, Darwen and nationally and negotiate a settlement that is acceptable.”

The union claims that Capita made record profits of £364.2m pounds last year.