Striking Dudley brick workers return after five weeks as employer agrees to suspend changes

Workers at a Black Country brickworks have returned to work after five weeks out on strike.

The workers at Glen Dimplex Bricks in Coopers Bank Road, Pensnett, walked out on June 15 in protest against ‘eye-watering’ new productivity targets which they said represented a 50 per cent increase in their workload.

Stuart Perry, of the GMB union, said the workers agreed to a return after the company agreed to suspend the changes pending further negotiations.

“Workers at Glen Dimplex in Dudley have returned to work following positive talks with Acas,” he said.

He added that the employer had agreed to revert back to conditions prior to the changes.

“This will allow for further negotiations to take place with a view to gaining a collective agreement by the end of September. “GMB urges the employer to come to the table with a view to listening to their workers who operate the machinery and complete the job daily.”

The striking workers have been backed by Dudley MP Sonia Kumar, who raised the dispute in parliament, saying it highlighted need for further measures to protect employees from unilateral changes to their working conditions. She called for a parliamentary debate on the matter.

“GMB union members at Glen Dimplex in my constituency have been on strike for five weeks over proposed workload changes,” she told the Commons.

“This week, after showing remarkable grit, they secured a return to the status quo while negotiations continue. Will the Leader of the House provide Government time for a debate on what more can be done to protect workers’ rights from unfair changes to their terms and conditions and ensure that employers negotiate in good faith?”

The union said workers voted for industrial action after the business imposed gruelling new production targets on staff, without investment in training or new machinery.

The company produces specialist brick products for heating systems in homes and workplaces across the UK.

Workers told the Express & Star they had been ordered to increase production by 50 per cent, going from setting 2,000 bricks a day to 3,000 each.

Adrian Malpass, union rep, said: “They’re working with bricks so it’s repetitive. It’s not just people’s hands - it’s their backs too. The increase is putting extra pressures on. It’s people’s welfare.

“Where else would you go and they say you’ve got to do 50 per cent more work?

“We’ve tried to negotiate with management but then it went ahead in May.”

One worker told how he suffers from arthritis in his hands and said the requirement to increase productivity has made it impossible to work.

“I had no problem with the job before. I was quite capable of doing the job before but it’s gone from 2,000 bricks per shift to them putting it up to 3,000.”

Mr Perry said management had offered no solutions or suggestions as to how workers could cope with the extra workloads .

He branded the demands ‘eye-watering’ and added: “It could be dangerous, plain and simple, but unfortunately top brass seem more interested in trousering profits than keeping workers safe."

Glen Dimplex was contacted for comment.