Japanese manufacturing organisation Futamura has awarded a 3.9% pay increase to 280 employees based in Wigton, Cumbria.
The pay rise, which is effective from January 2018, will result in factory staff, engineers, management and administrative employees receiving an additional £1,000 a year.
A Futamura spokesperson said: “We are pleased to have had such a positive negotiation with [trade unions] GMB and Unite. Together, we have achieved a deal that is fair to Futamura and to our employees.”
Ryan Armstrong, regional officer at Unite, added: “[Employees] at Futamura are delighted to have accepted an extra £1,000 a year. Following productive discussions between the union and the [organisation], the workforce at Futamura in Cumbria received a boost in their pay at a time when wages across the region are stagnating.
“It shows that being part of a union pays. It also makes a difference when management has a positive approach to unions and is prepared to recognise the contribution [employees] make to the success of the business.”
