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Greencore workers to down tools over pay disagreement
More than 500 workers are to begin striking from 11 September until 9 October in a dispute over pay. Roles affected will include factory line workers, quality controllers, store workers and cleaners.
The union claimed that strike action will lead to a shortage of sandwiches on shelves across Greencore’s supermarket customers, including Morrisons, Asda, Aldi, Lidle and Co-op.
Walking out in September
Unite regional officer, Andy Shaw, said: “We see the profits Greencore is making but they won’t pay their workers a fair wage at a time of high-inflation and high-prices. Our members have had enough and will be walking out in September.”
“It’s not too late to avoid this action if the company remembers where its profits come from and heads back to the negotiating table with an improved pay offer.”
A spokesman for Greencore said it had been in discussions with union representatives regarding pay since January and was disappointed their final offer had been rejected.
“We will be undertaking a number of planning and mitigation measures at the site in the coming weeks in order to prevent any disruption to service levels for our customers should potential industrial action take place,” said the spokesman.
‘Discussions will continue’
“In parallel, we will continue to liaise with both Unite and our Manton Wood colleagues with the aim of reaching agreement.”
Members of the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union working at Greencore Northampton were previously in talks with the manufacturer over a pay and conditions deal last year.
On Friday, 17 June, 248 out of 400 union members that responded to the ballot at Moulton Park rejected the company's proposals – new pay rates, transferring existing staff onto a new contracts, as well as removing double time pay on Sundays.
Meanwhile, workers at a Brown Brothers facility in Kelloholm, Dumfriesshire are on strike following a pay dispute. Around 180 members of trade union Unite started the industrial action on 28 August 2023 after members of the union rejected a new pay offer of £10.90 per hour from the manufacturer.
