STRIKE action at one of Okehampton's largest employers Heinz Frozen and Chilled Foods has been called off because an agreement has been reached.
Workers voted for industrial action following a below inflation 2.75 per cent pay offer by the company. But union representative Nigel Barber said following a meeting on Tuesday Heinz had given employees a way forward with which they were happy.
'There has been a commitment by Heinz senior management outside the factory to resolve the issues,' he said.
In a statement to the Okehampton Times staff said strike action was not something they were happy to take but were united in their efforts to attain a fair and decent wage for the contribution they made towards maximising the company's profits.
Heinz took over the business a year ago from United Biscuits and around 70 per cent of the 450 strong workforce are members of USDAW, the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers.
Mr Barber, who is the area organiser for USDAW, said there had been a hardening of attitude as far as members were concerned over the past two weeks.
'There has been a history of prolonged wage negotiations at the factory but they had never gone this far before,' he said.
'We all realise that in an industrial action situation there are no winners and it is the last thing we would want to do if we can
possibly avoid it.'
He added that there was a declared intention on both sides to resolve the underlying issues that were apparent in the workplace.
A working party would look into all the issues that had caused the problems in the past and their report would be used as a basis for negotiations prior to next year's pay offer, added Mr Barber.
Spokesman for Heinz Nigel Dickie said the pay offer had now been accepted and it was very much business as usual.
'Part of the company's approach is that issues are resolved as they arise,' he said. 'Heinz takes its responsibilities to its workforce very seriously and will continue its close discussions with the employee representative in the future.'