Unite union says offer ignores workers' efforts

A number of staff at Husqvarna have imposed an overtime ban and will work to rule after refusing a wage offer.

The company, based in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, said it believes its proposals are fair, adding it hopes to resolve the situation quickly.

However, the Unite union, which has more than 60 staff involved in the disagreement, says the suggested deal ignores workers’ efforts in delivering a record year for the business.

Mark Sanderson, Unite regional officer, said the 2.3 per cent offer, which is accompanied by a one-off payment of £300, simply isn’t enough.

He has now invited officials to enter into further talks to bring the unrest to a swift conclusion.

He said: “Our members have endured pay freezes and low pay rises on the understanding of better rises when the company is doing well.

“It has been the commitment of members and their attention to detail and flexibility which has powered the company to a record year and secured its reputation for fantastic products.

“This reputation risks being unpicked because of management’s refusal to share the rewards of success.

“I urge management to come to the negotiation table with a view to improving the offer.”

However, a spokeswoman for Husqvarna, known for its Flymo, Gardena and McCulloch brands, said it believes its offer is sufficient.

However, she added the firm, which employs hundreds of workers, remains open for further conversations to settle the matter.

Speaking from the company’s headquarters in Sweden, she told The Northern Echo: “This is a normal annual pay negotiation we started at the end of last year.

“We believe we offered a fair and reasonable pay offer but it was rejected by members through their due process.

“Discussions with the union are ongoing and we hope to resolve this as soon as possible.”

The dispute comes just weeks prior to what is traditionally Husqvarna’s busiest period of the year, as customers turn to its products to tackle their gardens after winter.

The Echo last year revealed such increase in demand would see the business, based on Aycliffe Business Park’s Preston Road, take on more than 650 staff across permanent and temporary roles.

Senior boss Pavel Hajman also previously told the Echo the company was bolstering its Aycliffe factory to increase robotic cutter production.

He said the business would install new moulding machines and assembly tools to cater for the rising appeal of robot cutters across Europe, with gardeners increasingly drawn to the machines’ ability to work unassisted at night and in the wet.

Mr Hajman added the plans would ensure Aycliffe retained its place as the company’s headquarters for robotic mower making, adding he expected them to double factory output over the next five years.