A strike that would have seen a shortage of Tetley tea bags has been avoided after workers at the producer's factory in Teesside accepted a new pay offer.

Nearly 200 GMB members working for Tata Consumer Products, the only Tetley tea producer for the UK and Canada, had originally voted for strike action over pay.

The workforce, predominantly made up of women, has now accepted a pay rise of seven per cent backdated to 1 April.

"After years of real terms pay cuts, these low-paid, predominantly women workers have stood together and demanded more – and they’ve got it," said Laura Maughan, GMB organiser. “This pay rise will enable them to support their families and stop replying on food banks."

Maughan added: “These workers should be rightly proud of themselves and Tata should be congratulated for finally listening to their workforce. However, there is still a long way to go Tetley workers fight for pay justice.”

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