MORE than 180 workers at the Bridgwater food packaging firm Sharpak are set to secure an extra £769 a year following a Unite organising campaign.

It means that half the workers at the company who had been earning just the minimum wage will get a pay increase worth 10 per cent.

Unite said Sharpak initially refused to increase pay for workers on the minimum wage and offered the remaining workforce just one per cent.

But after the workforce unanimously rejected the pay offer and ran a concerted campaign for a fair pay deal, the company returned to the negotiating table and finally agreed to an across the board increase of £769, plus increases on overtime rates.

The deal was overwhelmingly accepted by the workforce.

Workers at the company make food packaging for clients including Two Sisters ,which is a major supplier to UK supermarkets including Tesco.

Shevaun Hunt, Unite regional officer, said: “With the cost of living on the rise, the workforce could not afford to let their pay stagnate.

“185 workers will now get an extra £769 a year.

“Half the workers who were on the minimum wage will get a 10 per cent uplift which will help them to afford the essentials.

“Unite is determined to support workers on low pay by helping them to organise and win.

“By standing firm and campaigning for better pay the union at Sharpak grew and workers are now stronger and more united. ”