By George, staff stage a walkout

Apr 24 2007 By Jon Griffin, Birmingham Mail

STRIKING workers at a Birmingham firm took to the streets to stage their own St George's Day protest as a pay and conditions dispute hardened.

Workers at Carter Retail Equipment Ltd walked out at the start of their latest three-day week - with angry staff donning England football shirts and brandishing St George's flags and banners.

The St George's Day walkout marked employees' second week of action at the privately owned firm, as a dispute over pay and new shift arrangements remained deadlocked.

Staff are striking on Mondays and Fridays while an indefinite overtime ban has also been introduced following a unanimous vote by 163 members of the Transport and General Workers' Union.

Senior TGWU shop steward Leslie Whittaker said: "The mood of the workforce is very strong. We put flags up and some of the lads put their England shirts on.

"There were around 30 workers out around the gate and everything was very good-humoured. It was a big show of strength to coincide with St George's Day."

TGWU officials had been negotiating with management since October and a series of ballots led to a 100 per cent vote in favour of strike action.

Unions say workers are concerned about changes in terms and conditions and have accused management of trying to impose new shift arrangements at short notice.

Workers are also angry at a pay offer of just two per cent. The strikes are the first at the company, which makes refrigerated products for stores and supermarket chains, for more than 20 years.

The Monday and Friday stoppages have left only administrative staff working at the firm's offices in Kitts Green and Hay Mills during the walkouts.

The company has refused to comment on the dispute.