Tayto workers reject strike action in ballot

Less than a third of Unite’s members - 42 people - voted to go out on strike.

Group operations director Martin McElhinney said he was “delighted” at the result of the ballot, but Unite’s Sean McKeever accused Tayto of using “scare tactics” to deter people from voting in favour of a strike.

However, Mr McKeever said the priorities now were to proceed with negotiations on redundancy and pay. “There is still a threat of 40-80 redundancies and we will also be seeking a substantial pay rise,” he said.

Part of the dispute between Tayto and the union has been over the implementation of the National Living Wage.

Mr McElhinney said the number of workers who voted for strike was less than three per cent of the total workforce, “all of whom have been subject to the same new rates of pay brought about by the Government’s introduction of the National Living Wage in April”.

He added, “We would like to reiterate that none of our colleagues have suffered financially as a result of this new legislation; their salaries have either gone up or remained the same.

“We now want to look forward, moving our focus away from this matter which has been deeply distressing for many of our colleagues and concentrate on growing the company and securing our futures.”