British workers, Unite, at pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) have voted for industrial action in a dispute over pay.
Unite said its members recorded an 86 per cent vote in favour of industrial action in response to a “derisory” pay offer of 2.75 per cent.
The union said it amounted to a substantial real-terms pay cut for the workforce, with RPI inflation currently at 9 per cent.
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Unite said GSK has a short 48-hour window of opportunity to make a much-improved offer or strikes will be announced.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Never before have our members at GSK voted for strike action, their anger is a clear response to the company’s colossal corporate greed.
“GSK pocketed more than £34 billion (or $44.4 billion) in profits last year yet expects its workforce to swallow a pay cut in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis.
“As the strength of our members’ vote shows, this is simply not acceptable.
“Unite members have their union’s total support in their pursuit of a fair deal.” (dpa/NAN)
