FACTORY bosses are ‘committed to maintaining positive relationships’ with their workforce after strike action was called off due to a pay lift.

The threat of strike action at GSK was averted this week after members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, accepted an improved pay offer.

For the first time in the company’s history, more than 1,000 workers including engineers, technicians, laboratory analysts, warehouse workers, firefighters and labourers had voted for strike action which was due to take place across sites including in Ulverston.

Following an overwhelming yes vote for industrial action, fresh negotiations were held and an improved offer worth on average 10.5 per cent for each worker was made, which members accepted, offering a 4.5 per cent increase to the base salary.

The revised offer was a substantial improvement on the 2.75 per cent that workers had originally been offered.

READ MORE: Strike action called off in Ulverston after union secures pay lift for GSK workers

A spokeswoman for GSK said: “We are pleased to have reached an agreement with our employees covered by collective bargaining agreements at UK manufacturing sites.

“We are committed to maintaining positive relationships with our skilled manufacturing workforce and the unions that represent them.”

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “By voting for strike action, standing together, with their union firmly on their side, our members and reps have secured a greatly improved pay increase at GSK.

“This is further proof that Unite’s commitment to prioritising jobs, pay and conditions is delivering significant benefits for members.”

Unite national officer Tony Devlin said: “This was an unprecedented dispute at GSK and it would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of our reps.

“Unite will be using this settlement as a stepping stone to ensure that in all future pay settlements GSK properly rewards its workforce.”

The dispute involved Unite’s members at the following sites: Montrose and Irvine in Scotland; Ware in Hertfordshire; Worthing in West Sussex; Barnard Castle in Durham; and Ulverston.