WORKERS at Teesside chemical group Croda have voted against taking industrial action over pay.

Hundreds of employees at the Croda Chemicals Wilton site were balloted as part of an ongoing dispute, which earlier saw them reject a three per cent pay rise.

The secret ballot was to determine whether to pursue industrial action against the company, and if so, what form of protest to take.

But it emerged yesterday that once the results had been counted, employees had voted against taking action and instead accepted the original three per cent pay offer.

Joe Keith, senior regional industrial organiser for the T&G division of the Unite trade union, said: "The members have decided not to pursue industrial action.

"They have accepted the three per cent pay offer.

"They have taken into account the current situation at Croda, being the new owners of Uniqema, and decided this was not the time to pursue industrial action.

"I have informed the shop stewards and the company and for this year, that is the end of the dialogue."

Unions had earlier condemned the three per cent pay increase as "small reward" for the efforts of the 300 employees at the site, which was formerly owned by Uniqema.

And workers had initially been unhappy with the offer after learning that other neighbouring sites at Wilton had brokered pay deals of more than three per cent in recent months.

The Northern Echo yesterday tried to speak to Croda about the outcome of the ballot, but no one was available for comment.