‘Left with no choice’

Bakkavor workers preparing popular meals for leading supermarkets have voted for strike action in a dispute over low pay at a time when the food manufacturer is raking in tens of millions in profit.

Workers are now preparing to walk-out in protest over a paltry 1.5 per cent pay offer when Bakkavor Foods Ltd has posted  £105 million in pre-tax profits and has a turnover of £1.6 billion. 83 per cent of workers who took part in the ballot voted for strike action.

A strike could leave shelves at Tesco, Sainsbury’s, M&S and the Co-op empty of many popular meals including; salad meals, wraps, soups and dips such as taramasalata and hummus which are especially popular during the festive season.

The site in Spalding employs well over 1000 workers across 4 divisions: soups and sauces, dips, salads and distribution.

Workers at the site are calling for a substantial increase which recognises the contribution they have made to the company’s year on year increase in profits, while a typical worker earns around £9.36 an hour.

“The UK’s leading supermarkets face the prospect of considerable disruption to the supply of popular products like hummus and taramasalata over the festive season,” said Unite regional officer Mick Orpin.

“Bosses at Bakkavor have absolutely no justification for suppressing workers’ pay year on year when the company has increased its profits year on year,” he added.

“Between 2014 and 2018 Bakkavor’s profits have increased by a massive £40m but management have left hard-up workers with no choice except to take strike action to fight for their fair share.

“There is still time left to resolve this dispute and we hope management will get around the negotiating table with a view to reaching an agreement which recognises the workers’ contribution to the success of the business.”