Wafers of the world, unite!

Some 350 members of the Unite union walked out yesterday after rejecting the family-owned company's 2 per cent offer.

The union has also started an indefinite overtime ban and work to rule at the 120-year-old company in Uddingston, South Lanarkshire, which employs 550 people.

Strikers claimed the action had brought manufacturing of products such as Caramel Wafers and Snowballs and Tea Cakes to a halt, but Tunnock's refused to comment.

The second strike will follow on Tuesday after the firm's four-day holiday closure.

Tony Devlin, 43, regional industrial organiser for Unite, said: "Things have been going well, with more than 250 people turning up at the start of the strike.

"We had a mass meeting with members on Wednesday after the company offered a 2 per cent rise and decided that the strike would go ahead.

"They are determined to see the strike through and are unhappy with how they have been treated.

"Before we had an offer the company had put up notices internally saying the union had rejected a 2 per cent pay increase. That is fundamentally incorrect.

"Our members have accepted pay offers in the past with austerity in mind, then the directors offered themselves significant dividends straight after." One striker, who asked not to be named, speaking from the rain-soaked picket line, accused company chiefs of lying to staff.

He said: "The turnout has been great so hopefully the company will see how we feel.

"Work has near enough stopped inside. The only ones left are the supervisors.

"The bottom line is that we feel lied to. If they had been up front and offered the pay increase we would have probably accepted it.

"Things are getting harder and it's only going to get worse.

"We all don't want to be standing out here because we're losing money, but we will stay for as long as it takes."

Another worker said: "This has been the build-up of a lot of things but we feel we need to make a stand.

"It's not the same place to work any more.They may as well take the sign down saying a family business - it's not run like that any more."

The strike, the first for four years, comes just three months after managing director Boyd Tunnock - the founder's grandson - hosted a party for the workforce at the Hilton hotel in Glasgow to celebrate the 120th anniversary.

In a statement, the company said: "The two-day strike organised by Unite is going ahead.

"Unite advised Tunnock's yesterday afternoon that the workforce will be balloted on the unconditional offer of 2 per cent (effective 1 July), which was made by Tunnock's on Tuesday."

The ballot is due to close on 4 October.

Tunnock's products were first exported, to Canada, 53 years ago, and are now sent to 30 countries, including Kuwait and Japan.