CHEMICALS group Croda could be hit by industrial action in the coming weeks after a pay dispute at its plant on Tees- side.

Workers at the Wilton site are voting in a secret fortnight-long ballot over whether to take action against the company, the result of which will be known on Monday.

Unions have condemned Croda's offer of a three per cent pay increase as "small reward" for the company's 300 employ-ees.

Joe Keith, senior regional organiser for the T&G division of the Unite trade union, said that the offer was not good enough.

"At meetings we have had with the company, they have refused to increase the offer any more, so our members have voted accordingly and they are now on the road to seeking industrial action," he said.

"People have got friends in other companies. They know what has been offered by other companies, and know that the Croda offer of three per cent is the lowest."

The site was formerly owned by Uniqema, which Croda bought from ICI for £410m last September.

Late last year, The Northern Echo revealed that 60 jobs had been lost at the plant, with work transferred to another site in the South.