MORE than 80 workers are staging a 24-hour strike from 8am today at a drug manufacturer and distributor in a row over pay.

Production staff at US-owned Cardinal Health on the Wingates Industrial Estate, Westhoughton, have walked out after rejecting a "final" two-year pay deal offered by the company.

The workers, who represent more than three quarters of the workforce at the site, are members of the Transport and General Workers' Union. Graham Williams, the union's regional industrial organiser, said: "The workers at the Bolton site have historically been paid less than their counterparts in other UK sites such as Corby and Swindon.

"We were hoping Cardinal would come up with an offer that brought parity to the UK workforce.

"Instead, they tabled a two-year wage offer that fell below the rate of inflation, with part of it being tied into meeting improved budgetary targets over the next two years. But who is to say what those improved targets will be?

"There was a lot of jam tomorrow in the offer, which the members deemed completely unacceptable.

"The company has said this is a final offer, but we remain hopeful we can start talking again soon."

Founded in 1971, Cardinal Health specialises in the manufacture and distribution of medical products, equipment and pharmaceutical-related products to retailers including chain and independent drug stores and pharmacy departments of supermarkets and hospitals. The company's head office is in Dublin, Ohio, and it employs 55,000 people worldwide.

Its UK operations are in Bolton, Basingstoke, Corby, Martindale and Swindon.

For the year to June 2006, the company made a profit of £1.3 billion, an increase of 7.8 per cent over 2005.

The company refused to comment.