WORKERS at a County Durham factory will strike every Tuesday and Thursday until a pay deal is reached, the Amicus union warned last night.

The majority of the 150-strong workforce at Hydro Aluminium Extrusions, in Birtley, near Chester-le-Street, yesterday mounted picket lines for the second time over a pay dispute that has rumbled on since July.

Conciliation service Acas has been involved in negotiations, but talks on Monday failed to break the deadlock between the two parties.

Workers at Hydro staged their first 24-hour walkout last Thursday after rejecting the company's third pay offer.

Dave Telford, the Amicus union's regional officer, said: "Following a further round of talks involving Acas, no improved offer has been made and, as such, the industrial action will continue.

"We remain available for negotiation as and when the company are prepared to talk to us."

As well as strike action, workers have also agreed to an overtime ban.

Last Thursday, Sandy Rollo, Hydro's corporate development manager, issued a statement, which read: "As of today, there exists a local disagreement between the management and the Amicus union at our Birtley operation over the current wage negotiations.

"In light of this, we have reviewed a forward order loading and are in the process of putting plans in place to avoid any disruption to our customers. In the meantime, it is business as usual for our customers."

Yesterday, Mr Rollo said he stood by the statement and insisted customers would not be affected by the dispute.

He added: "Talks have been going on continuously with Acas."

The Birtley factory was set up on Durham Road in 1976 as Century Aluminium and was acquired by Norwegian group Norsk Hydro in 1986.

Norsk Hydro is the UK's leading supplier of extruded, machined and surface-finished aluminium extrusions.

Its petrochemical division Hydro Polymers employs 400 people at a plastics factory in Newton Aycliffe, but this factory is not connected with the strike action or pay dispute