MANAGEMENT at a Platts Common factory have denied claims they are 'unlawfully deducting' pay in a bid to get strikers back to work.

Striking factory workers at Wybone limited have accused management of docking their bonus pay without any consultation. The union members said they were told by their manager they had been overpaid in bonuses and the money would be taken back over the next three weeks.

A spokesman for Wybone said this was not they case and the calculations were made based on the company's invoiced output. She said: "If the number of days available to produce goods is reduced (i.e bank holidays), it follows that the company output, on which the scheme is based, is affected."

Wybone management said they had consulted the trade union over how bonus scheme calculations would be made and the rules distributed among staff. The management said the rewards were directly linked to the company's invoiced output and there were no complaints about it at the time.

But Colin Griffiths, regional negotiator for union Community, said money had been taken from wage packets and the company gave no warning before taking the first instalment. He said: "The managing director told our branch official he had overpaid them (the staff) on the bonus scheme and would be taking the money back over the next three weeks.

"It's an unlawful deduction of wages - you can't do that. There has to be some sort of agreement that suits both parties if someone has been wrongly paid. I think he's trying to make them so skint they have to go back to work."

Workers at the outdoor furniture manufactures started the series of strikes on May 2 when their pay demands were not met. A three per cent pay increase with an unlimited bonus scheme was backdated to Christmas but union members are campaigning for at least a three-and-a-half per cent rise. They have refused to work overtime since April 16.

Today 21 union members will walk out for the third Friday running after last weeks' talks with management broke down again.