Workers – some with more than 30 years service – are angry that after just 38 days of ownership, Tulip closed down the Tranfoods meat packaging site – and is now threatening to renege on the enhanced redundancy package agreed with the trade unions.
Management is now threatening to only pay the statutory minimum to the 218 staff who look likely to lose their jobs.
Unite is due to meet the company on 13 March at Abbey Road, Birkenhead at 9am – and the workers will be protesting outside from 8.30am.
Unite regional officer, Franny Joyce said: “The workers have been treated with contempt by Tulip, which is the UK arm of Danish Crown and took over the plant last December.
“After just 38 days of ownership, they announced the closure of this site and last Monday they locked out the employees and boarded up the plant.
“Tomorrow’s meeting is to find out what is going on and to make the case very strongly that the firm should honour its enhanced redundancy package to former Tranfoods employees. We are currently in a 90-day consultation process.”
Tulip said that it was moving production in the Wirral to Bodmin in Cornwall. The Birkenhead plant supplies cooked meats to the Tesco supermarket chain.
Source: Tulip
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2024