Workers employed by food manufacturer Princes Foods have begun strike action this week across the UK in an ongoing dispute over pay.
The line operative and engineer employees, who are members of trade union Unite, based at the organisation’s Bradford factory will strike from today until Wednesday, as well as from 13-15 January. Engineers at its Glasgow factory will also strike on these dates.
Staff at its Wisbech factory will take part in action from 8-10 January and 16-18 January, those at Long Sutton will strike on 7, 9, 14 and 16 January, and those at Cardiff, where industrial action took place last year, will strike from 9-11 January.
The employees had been offered a pay rise of between 4 and 7% dependent on salary by the organisation’s previous owner Mitsubishi. After it was subsequently bought by Italian multinational Newlat, the offer was withdrawn and replaced with a 3% pay increase offer.
Unite argued that due to the Newlat Group expecting to achieve €2.8 billion (£2.3 billion) sales this financial year, with approximately €188 million (£155.9 million) in profit, a higher pay request is fair.
Angelo Mastrolia, chairman of the board of directors of Princes, said: “It has become increasingly clear that resolving this dispute with Unite is becoming more difficult. We have engaged in discussions with the Union for several months, proposing an above-inflation pay rise and offering to backdate this to April 2024 during the negotiations. However, Unite has informed us that they would not permit the company to proceed in this manner. The board and I fully understand our responsibility to care for our employees, but we have an equal obligation to ensure the long-term sustainability of Princes by focusing on cost management and being a competitive supplier in the UK’s food and beverage sector.”
Sharon Graham, general secretary at Unite, added: “Newlat need to get back round the negotiating table before its customers discover they won’t have any products on their shelves.”
Paul Travers, national officer for food, drink and agriculture at Unite, said: “Newlat can avoid this strike, which is one of their own making, by coming back to the negotiating table with a new and improved pay deal for our members.”
