Iconic waxed-cotton motorcycle apparel manufacturer Barbour has been hit by a series of one-day strikes by 70 unionised members of the 130-strong workforce at its warehouse in Gateshead, following breakdown of negotiations with trade union Unite over revised contracts.
Barbour had proposed a double-shift system to cope with increasing delivery pressures, sweetened by a ten per cent wage rise. But this has been rejected by Unite representatives seeking enhanced payments for unsocial-hours working.
The 120-year-old family firm, which has 600 employees in North-East England and a main production plant at South Shields, exports most of its wares and turned over £152m last year. It is one of very few business success stories in an otherwise economically weak region.
“In order to compete as a brand on this international scale, we need to evolve with modern-day working practices,” commented Barbour managing director Steve Buck, who has set a 30 January deadline for adoption of more flexible contracts. He added that the company nevertheless remains committed to manufacturing in the UK.