// Staff at the Bakkavor factory in Spalding, which supplies own brand products to Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and M&S will strike between 25 November to 2 January
// Bakkavor said it had introduced contingency plans to minimise disruption to its supermarket clients
Staff at a factory that makes own-brand products for supermarkets including Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and M&S are set to strike for five weeks from late November in a dispute over pay.
More than 700 workers at the Bakkavor food manufacturing plant in Spalding in Lincolnshire, which produce own-brand soups, sauces and deli products, have rejected a 6.5% pay offer.
The Unite union said this amounted to a “substantial pay cut” as the RPI rate of inflation is now 14.2%.
The factory staff will now strike between 25 November until 2 January.
Many workers at the site earn just 1p over the national minimum wage with some forced to use food banks, according to Unite, which pointed out that owner Bakkavor posted a 22% increase in adjusted operating profits to £102 million for 2021.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “The situation these workers face is exactly what is wrong with Britain’s economy today: A company earning millions and millions in profits expecting already low paid workers to take a pay cut while prices soar.
“Unite will not tolerate attacks on our members’ jobs, pay or conditions and our Bakkavor members have the union’s complete backing as they strike for a better deal.”
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Unite regional officer Ravinder Assi added: “Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and M&S all have a case to answer if they do not pressure Bakkavor to use some of its massive profits to give these workers a proper pay rise.
“Supermarket customers will be appalled to know that the own-brand goods they are buying are made by supply chain workers who are being treated so disgracefully. Bakkavor can well afford to put forward an offer our members can accept and needs to do so.”
The Guardian reported that Bakkavor said it was “disappointed” that strike action was going ahead and its pay offer was “competitive in the local market”.
The strikes are set to impact the retailers that the factory serves, however Bakkavor said it had put contingency plans in place to minimise disruption.
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