NORMAN Piette has criticised a union official for encouraging a walkout during pay talk negotiations. The protest by 30 staff at the builders’ merchants, which had been planned for yesterday, was called off.

Workers rejected an RPI pay offer from the company and management claimed Transport and General Workers’ Union representative Ron Le Cras urged them to take industrial action by way of an hour-long protest.

Managing director Clive Fenner said that the company and union followed long-established procedures in pay talks. These involved referring breakdowns to the industrial disputes officer.

‘However, T&G regional organiser Ron Le Cras last week appeared to be ignoring the agreement and talked instead of industrial action.’

The company referred the issue to the industrial disputes officer and the strike was called off late last week after union representatives met him.

Mr Le Cras has also been criticised for not ensuring that notice was given to the public of the walkout by Group 4 Securicor staff at the airport. He refused to comment yesterday.

Norman Piette staff union representative Steve Le Patourel said: ‘The walkout was called off because I was worried that some of the men might have lost their jobs if they had gone through with it.

‘They were worried they would be in breach of their contracts. We have refused the pay offer because the men feel they deserve more than just a cost-of-living increase.

‘The men are not happy with the offer. We have met the disputes officer and will wait to hear back from him before deciding what to do next.’

He said he hoped to get the chance to sit down with management.

‘I hope it will get sorted out. The men think it’s an unacceptable rise and it’s my job to back them all the way. I don’t think the men are going to budge so it could go to a third party to decide.

‘The management have maintained to us that they think the offer is fair.’

The company expects to meet union representatives again next week.