A RARELY seen picket line hit the streets of Newton Abbot on Wednesday as the country prepared to go to the polls.

Nearly 30 workers at DB Glass on Brunel Road spent the day outside their factory protesting about their pay and conditions fall-out with company bosses.

The first day of the 48-hour walkout was deemed a success with 29 of the 31 who voted to withdraw their labour joining the flag-waving demo.

A spokesman for the company, which makes insulated glass units, said he had no comment to make about the industrial action.

Union spokesman Terry Keefe was more forthcoming.

He said as the strike got underway: ‘Our members have taken a strong stand on the picket line at DB Glass and shown excellent solidarity as they start a 48-hour strike over a paltry pay offer and the imposition of unreasonable new shift patterns.’

Mr Keefe, the Unite union’s regional officer, vowed: ‘The planned strikes will continue until the bosses start negotiating in a constructive fashion.’

He revealed Unite members at DB Glass’s sister company, Sierra Windows in Paignton, were also holding a 48-hour strike at the same time on the same issues.

And he warned: ‘Both companies are part of the Specialist Building Products group – and the senior executives need to knock heads together in Devon if they don’t want this dispute to escalate further.’

Shop steward Peter Brown said from the picket line: ‘The mood was quite chirpy. I was chuffed that the lads stayed on after completing a 12-hour night shift. That was great.’

He revealed that 29 of the 31 who voted in favour of strike action were on Wednesday’s picket line.

‘Of the two absent, one was on paternity leave and the other on holiday,’ explained Mr Brown.