STAFF at a Darwen firm walked out over proposed changes to their contracts.

Staff at Lucite International, which creates acrylic sheets which are used as aeroplane windscreens and to make baths and signs, took strike action after discussions with company bosses broke down.

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Under company proposals, shop-floor employee weekly hours would rise from about 36 to 40 and for office staff from 36 to 37.5 with no increase in pay.

The firm says the changes were essential to “secure a commercially sustainable future for the business”.

However, representatives for the 240-strong staff failed to reach an agreement over contract terms and conditions, resulting in staff taking a stand.

Production, office, shop floor and plant workers walked out and joined two picket lines on Duckworth Street and Goose House Lane in Darwen.

Karen Lewis, GMB regional organiser, said: “We have never been out on strike at Lucite before and today we have had fantastic support from staff and the local community.

“The company has a two-tier workforce and it wants to drive down the terms and conditions on the older employees and those on the original terms and conditions – the equivalent of 11 per cent pay cut.

“It would equate to 22 days’ holiday being lost for shift staff.

“No production lines are running today. The whole place has stopped for 24 hours.”

She said further strike action is planned for June 1 and 9, unless an agreement can be reached.

Staff want the firm to remove the HR1 – an advance notification of redundancies – to allow meaningful consultation and discussions to continue.

Workers have been carrying out work-to-rule action – meaning they do no more work than minimum required by the rules of their contract – since May 14.

The company has been in consultation with its staff for 94 days and union reps said all ideas by staff to help make the £300,000 in savings have been pushed aside.

Mark Burrell, GMB workplace organiser, was also on the picket line.

He said: “The work to rule action has been going on since May 14, and could go on indefinitely.

“Unlike many strikes, we are not after more money or more holidays. We just want the same as we currently have. We want things to stay the same.

“The majority of people have been here for over 25 years.”

Pay Coyne, regional officer for Unite the Union, said: “We want them to get back to meaningful relationship so we can have a two-way dialogue again.

“The company, through its heavy handed approach, is damaging a good, loyal workforce that has been here for years. It’s a crying shame.”

Speaking prior to the strike, a Lucite spokesman, said that salaries for those contracted before 2011 were about £31,000 per year with allowances and occasional payments and that was around a quarter higher than other local manufacturers.

A spokesman said: “Our objective in proposing the changes was to secure a commercially sustainable future for the business, the Darwen site and the town.”