Unite members at the Birmingham laundry of Johnsons Workwear have taken two days strike action, the first in nearly 40 years, against low pay that has left them on little more than minimum wage.
Workers explained that all they are asking for is a 72p-an-hour rise, from a company which awarded its CEO £600,000 worth of shares. They were quick to point out that the share price is only what it is due to their efforts loading and cleaning everything from protective gear used by foundry workers to abattoir uniforms with animal remains on.
Workers described how the demands of meeting the deadlines for these were getting more intense as staffing levels had fallen over the years, with bonuses and works outings cut back to just an insulated travel mug!
As one worker put it: “Like everywhere, we’re seeing the rich get richer off our work while we get poorer”.
