The industrial action beginning on 30 January and ending on 31 January – is the first ever at the Hull (UK) site and will hit production of favourite cake products including the novelty and celebration cakes carried in supermarkets such as Asda,Tesco and Sainsbury’s.
Around 500 workers have been fighting to claw back pay after attacks on their terms and conditions have seen them lose up to £40 per week from their wages.
The workers recently voted by 81% to take action, angered by the company’s breach of promise to restore cuts in terms made in October 2011. Last year, Greencore, was forced by a tribunal to reverse the £1.2m raid on the workers’ wages – however in a scandalous effort to dodge the court’s ruling, the company simply issued new contracts to the workforce.
Unite national officer for the food industry, Jennie Formby, said: “The brass neck of this company and its CEO Patrick Coveney is staggering. In the week when Mr Coveney seeks a 1.7 million euros salary package, his poorly paid workforce is on the brink of strike action for the first time ever in an effort to stop this employer robbing wage packets to reward Greencore’s boardroom.
“When brought into line by the law, Greencore simply ignores it. Imagine if this workforce had a similar disregard for the laws of this land? They would face jail, not the praise of analysts revelling in the £70m in profits alone this company generated last year.
“Make no mistake, this company is being powered to super profits by the hard graft of our members – not content with this, it is out to snatch their wages too. It is entirely shameful behaviour.”
Source: Unite
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