Warburtons staff edge towards strike action

07-Aug-2012 - Last updated on 08-Aug-2012 at 08:49 GMT

95% of staff rejected Warburtons' 2% pay increase offer

Staff at bakery giant Warburtons have voted overwhelmingly for a ballot on strike action, in a dispute over a pay offer.

Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU) national president Ian Hodson told Foodmanufacture.co.uk that approximately 85% of members had voted for a ballot on industrial action in the ongoing dispute, with turnout at 90%.

However, after the results were counted and presented to Warburtons this week, the company offered further talks on improving its offer. These were set to take place on August 29, Hodson said.

Warburtons had initially made a 2% pay increase offer to employees, which was rejected by 95% of BFAWU members.

Changes to terms and conditions

The company then said it would consider improving the pay offer, but only if employees would accept seven changes to terms and conditions.

However, the Union believed that it did not have a mandate to agree to changes in terms and conditions and so started a consultative ballot with members across Warburtons’ UK sites. The results, counted on Tuesday, favoured a ballot for industrial action.

Hodson commented: “This is a profitable company. We would not be doing this if the company was loss making.”

The company has 11 bakeries and 13 depots in the UK.