CABLE-making giant Pirelli will be hit with fresh strike action next week when an estimated 140 workers down tools in a pay dispute.

Earlier this week about 40 workers from the cable accessories department, who belong to the Amicus union, walked out of the Chickenhall Lane plant at Bishopstoke.

Pickets were manned on the gates for the one-day strike on Monday in protest over a pay offer which workers have branded derisory.

The company's final offer of a 2.6 per cent pay rise was rejected by employees. They argue that a 7.5 per cent rise would be needed to put their wage in line with local market standards.

Now the dispute is set to escalate as 140 cablemakers, who belong to the Transport & General Workers' Union, stage their own one-day strike next Tuesday. The protest will cause a high level of disruption to production because shift patterns mean the dispute will spill into Wednesday and Thursday.

Colin Lumber, of the TGWU, said the union was still hopeful of resolving the dispute but said no talks were planned at the moment.

Both unions have warned the strikes could be the first in a series of industrial actions.

Mike Budd, of Amicus, said: "We believe these skilled workers are being underpaid.

"The 2.6 per cent would give them £9.10 an hour which we believe is below the market rate. We are not asking for a correction in one go. We are just asking for an improvement."

A spokesman for Pirelli was unavailable for comment.