Employees at the Bakkavor Spalding site in Lincolnshire are set to take industrial action on Friday 27th September in protest of a pay offer from Bakkavor.
Over 700 workers will take part in the strike at the Spalding site, which manufactures meals, soups, salads, dips, desserts, pizzas and breads for Bakkavor customers.
Bakkavor expressed its disappointment, as it highlighted that across its other 20 sites employees had accepted the same pay awards.
Sadie Woodhouse, general manager at Bakkavor Spalding, said: “We are clearly disappointed that the Union has advocated strike action despite our efforts to positively negotiate with them and us putting a good deal on the table, well above inflation and national living wage.
“We respect the role that unions play generally in protecting workers’ rights. However, it makes no sense for a union to call for a strike against a business that is already looking after its people, creating employment in the local community, investing in training and putting forward above-inflation pay rises. We are committed in our backing of the new Government’s ambition of creating economic growth through running a successful, sustainable business that contributes to the economy.”
Bakkavor said it was hopeful that the proposed strike action starting on 27th September would be called off “because it has already put a good pay offer forward, one that helps ensure that even the lowest paid colleagues get paid well above the National Living Wage”.
The manufacturer also stated that should industrial action go ahead, it has worked with customers and has put “detailed contingency plans in place”.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Bakkavor has built a highly profitable business on the backs of workers and yet fails to recognise their hard work in incredibly tough working conditions.
“Our members are rightly angry after years of below-inflation pay rises, the most recent offer is an insult. Bakkavor needs to rapidly think again and come back with an improved pay deal.”
