Staff at a Fife-based cable manufacturing plant have rejected a pay increase and are set to strike, an insider has claimed.
The Courier understands staff at Leviton in Glenrothes have been in wage negotiations for around six months but are yet to come to an agreement.
It is understood the latest offer put to members by Unite the union was for an 8.7% pay rise.
Pay offer rejected by Leviton workers
However, it is believed the offer has been rejected by workers at the firm’s Viewfield Industrial Estate site.
A worker at the Glenrothes factory said: “It used to be a good paying job but the gap to minimum wage and what we’re getting is getting smaller and smaller.”
He said the new wage offer was rejected by just a single vote.
“Management are trying to get a re-vote as saying three folk missed out, which some say is incorrect,” he claimed.
He further claimed workers’ pay rises were dependant on completing training to operate certain machines in the factory.
“Production operators were getting 8.7% and maintenance were offered 6%.
“However, the 8.7% was getting reduced to 5% and taken back off you in monthly sums if didn’t meet the deadline by august for training on other machines.
“This only applied to operators who were basically trained on one or two machines.”
The worker also criticised the firm for “pleading poverty”.
Sales of nearly £90m for Leviton
The company designs and manufactures high-speed copper and fibre-based cable systems for IT and data communications.
It also manufactures cabling for industries such as the military, rail, automotive and aerospace.
Formerly Brand-Rex, the company was acquired by US based Leviton in 2015 and started trading under the Leviton name in 2019.
Accounts for Leviton Manufacturing UK Limited show turnover of £89.2 million for the year to December 2021.
The firm also made pre-tax profits of £1.6m for the same period.
Firm investing in Glenrothes plant
The latest pay dispute comes with the firm making a £600,000 investment in hundreds of solar panels at Glenrothes.
That is part of a multi-million-pound project that will also include new production equipment and a customer showroom.
A Unite spokesperson confirmed talks are ongoing with the company.
It is the second time in three years there has been a pay dispute at Leviton.
In August 2021, workers were balloted for strike action after the collapse of pay talks.
Leviton did not respond to The Courier’s request for comment.
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