WSP Textiles employees in Gloucestershire have begun strike action in a dispute over a pay offer.
Of the 150 workers at sports cloth manufacturer, 46 are members of the union Unite and 28 voted in favour of strike action. Starting today (12 January), strikes will take place until 20 January, and then 22-23 January.
The employees at WSP Textiles’ factories in Stroud and Dursley produce snooker baize and tennis ball material. The tennis ball felt is used by manufacturers Wilson, Slazenger and Dunlop at Wimbledon, the French and Australian Open. The snooker baize is used in World Snooker Tour tournaments in the UK, USA and China.
Strike action is taking place as staff are unhappy with the 2.35% pay offer from their employer, given the current cost-of-living crisis.
Unite argued that a higher pay offer can be made as WSP made nearly £1.4 million in profit and £23 million of revenue in 2024, while its highest-paid director earns nearly £100,000 yet production line workers earn under £13 per hour.
Duncan Kettell, chief executive of WSP Textiles, said: “Most of our people have been with us for many years and we have a good record on pay. Our offer reflects challenging business conditions at the moment and what we can afford. As far as I can remember, strike action here at WSP textiles is a first but I’ve made it clear that the door remains open should the union bring a new proposal to the table. I have written to all employees in early December explaining the reasons for our pay offer and confirming that the board will continue to work with the union to try to resolve the issue.”
Sharon Graham, general secretary at Unite, added: “Workers at WSP do an extremely skilled job that allows highly-paid sports stars to bring pleasure to millions around the world. WSP need to come back to the negotiating table with a much better offer, or major tennis and snooker events could be under threat.”
