Workers at footwear giant Clarks based in Somerset are taking industrial action in a dispute over pay.

The dispute involves 230 workers at Clarks’ distribution centre in Street, Somerset who are members of the Community union.

Members voted by four to one to take action, which began yesterday.

According to the Telegraph, the union said its members were angry at plans to impose a 3.5% pay award, which it said was in fact reduced to a rise of 2.6% due to changes in working arrangements.

“The issue isn’t about pay,” said union spokesman Joe Mann. “It’s about the company arbitrarily implementing changes to terms and conditions outside of our agreements with them and then riding roughshod over that relationship.”

A spokesman for Clarks responded by saying that the award is significantly higher than the best offers made by other members of the British Footwear Association.

“It is considerably higher than average pay settlements in 2011 across the UK,” he said.

Topics