Four days of strike action, from Saturday (12 January), are on the cards at an East Yorkshire chocolate crumb manufacturer over a ‘shoddy’ pay offer.

The workers at Meadow Foods at Holme on Spalding Moor are due to walk-out at 18.00 on 12 January, after voting for strike action over a two per cent pay offer for the year starting July 2018.

The action, which ends at 18.00 on Tuesday 15 January, is planned to hit night and day shifts over the four days.

Unite, Britain and Ireland’s largest union which represents more than half of 71 employees, said that there was still time for the management to come to the table for constructive talks.

Unite regional officer Dave Monaghan said: “Our members have overwhelmingly rejected a shoddy two per cent pay offer and are seeking an increase in line with the retail price index, currently running at 3.2 per cent, to keep up with the soaring cost of living.

“This modest demand is in sharp and glaring contrast with the excessive 82 per cent increase that the company directors pocketed as highlighted in the latest accounts.

“It’s no wonder that our members are furious at the huge ‘them and us’ disparity between the pay of the bosses compared with those that actually generate the profits.

“There is still a generous window of opportunity for the management to sit down and enter into meaningful negotiations before the strike is due to commence.

“This site produces ingredients for other manufacturers and, if the strike goes ahead, we predict it will have a negative impact on the factory’s ability to keep up with customer demand.”

Unite members voted by 73 per cent for strike action.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

The company’s website states: “Our sweetened dairy products are manufactured at our factory on the edge of the village of Holme on Spalding Moor. A dairy for more than 75 years, it is now the only factory in the UK to independently manufacture sweetened condensed milk and chocolate crumb products and more recently is where we produce our Soft Cheese and Foodservice products.”

For more information please contact Unite senior communications officer Shaun Noble on 020 3371 2060 or 07768 693940. Unite press office is on:  020 3371 2065

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @unitetheunion Facebook: unitetheunion1 Web: unitetheunion.org 

Unite is Britain and Ireland’s largest union with members working across all sectors of the economy. The general secretary is Len McCluskey.