In early September 2023, more than 500 workers at a Greencore facility in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, voted in favour of industrial action after they rejected the sandwich manufacturer’s initial financial package.
Less than two weeks later though on 14 September, a new agreement was reached between Greencore management and Unite. That deal has now been approved by Unite members employed at the factory, known as Manton Wood.
Once the agreement was reached in principle between Greencore and Unite, planned strike action at the facility was suspended until the new proposal was put to the membership in a vote.
The above inflation pay deal will see all staff receive a 10% pay increase backdated to 1 April 2023 and an additional 5.25% increase from 1 April 2024.
Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham, described the accepted pay offer as a “hard-fought victory” for Greencore’s workers.
“It shows there is power in a union and that Unite will fight tooth and nail for its members in our relentless pursuit of better jobs, pay and conditions,” Graham added.
“I congratulate everyone involved for their hard work and for standing up to their employer in demanding a fair pay rise.”
Deal in ‘best interests’ of Manton Wood workers
Headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, Greencore is a leading producer of consumer food products, most notably packaged sandwiches. Currently, the firm supplies sandwiches and ready meals to retailers such as Morrisons, Asda, Aldi, Lidl, Co-op and Boots.
Reflecting on the pay dispute with Unite being settled, a Greencore spokesperson told Food Manufacture: “We are pleased to have reached a deal that we believe is in the best interests of our colleagues at Manton Wood.”
In other news, Food Manufacture recently spoke to Andrea Deutschmanek, head of marketing for the UK and EU at QuornPro, about the alternative protein manufacturer’s foodservice division and why it was time to reposition.
