THERE is still no end in sight to the strikes at BPI's Stockton site, with unions appealing to the plastics company's chairman to intervene in the long-running pay dispute.

Union officials said they had written to BPI chairman Cameron McLatchie asking him to help resolve the stand-off between workers and bosses at the Teesside plant, also known as Visqueen.

About 170 workers took part in a 24-hour walkout on Monday, with a further one-day strike planned for later this month.

This follows three days of strikes last month.

Visqueen bosses are still refusing to accept a three per cent pay demand from workers, which they say they cannot afford due to adverse trading conditions.

Workers have so far refused an offer of 2.8 per cent - 0.3 per cent of which would be self-financed.

However, Joe Keith, of the Transport and General Workers Union, which represents all the striking staff, said: "We have tried tremendously hard to come up with a solution which would satisfy both parties and avoid either side losing face.

"Although our members want three per cent, we told bosses that if they offered us 2.8 per cent without any strings, we would go back to members.

"But everything we have come up with they have said no to."

Bosses said the industrial action was undermining the competitiveness of the business.

However, they refused to be drawn on claims made in a letter to staff last September that work could be moved away from the site if strike action was taken.

In the letter, staff were warned that any industrial action would result in the company reviewing all aspects of employment at the Stockton site.

Staff were also told: "(Industrial action) will force the company to consider relocating significant volumes of work currently manufactured at Stockton to other BPI sites."

Union officials said the company's comments had contributed to the vote to reject the pay offer.

The next walkout is expected to take place on Saturday, January 15.

An overtime ban is still in place.