Staff at Marshalls, which has a site on Fletcher Bank Quarries in Ramsbottom, have turned down the offer of a one-off consolidated £700 payment for this year.

Union Unite is backing the employees’ stance of rejecting the offer and has announced ballots for strike action at five of Marshall’s sites opened yesterday, Monday, and will close in three weeks on Monday, November 11.

Marshalls has said it is “aware” of the balloting process and has “since made an updated two-year offer”.   

As well as the Ramsbottom site, workers at Marshalls’ bases in Halifax, Stockton-on-Tees in Cleveland, Sandy in Bedfordshire and St Ives in Cambridgeshire will be affected.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Our members are well aware that Marshalls is a highly profitable company and will not accept its derisory pay offer.

“They have Unite’s full support in demanding a fair pay rise.”

Unite also pointed out that Marshalls’ annual report for 2023 stated that it brought in revenues of £671.2m and had an adjusted operating profit of £70.7m.

Chief executive Matt Pullen, who joined the company in March, is paid a salary of £580,000, the union added.

Unite national officer Jason Poulter said: “Marshalls can well afford to put forward a fair pay deal for this year.

“Strike action can still be avoided but that requires Marshalls to table an offer our members can accept.”

In response, a Marshalls spokesperson said: “We are aware that Unite is in the process of balloting their members after rejecting the 2024 pay offer.

“We have since made an updated two-year offer.

“We await the outcome of the ballot and continue to work with the union to find a satisfactory resolution.”