A senior executive at Bakkavor has criticized a trade union for prioritizing publicity over the resolution of an ongoing strike at one of its UK facilities, now entering its sixth week.
During a recent meeting with Unite the Union, Bakkavor’s Chief People Officer, Donna-Maria Lee, remarked that the union seems more interested in “lobbying and publicity” rather than reaching a fair settlement. In retaliation, the union accused Bakkavor of “scaremongering.”
Lee’s comments followed weeks of protests, including demonstrations in Reykjavik, Iceland, aimed at influencing the company’s leadership by targeting the Gudmundsson brothers, the major shareholders of the UK-based food-to-go leader.
The <ahref=”https://www.just-food.com/news/bakkavor-workers-set-to-strike-at-uk-site/”>strike, initiated in late September at Bakkavor’s Spalding factory in eastern England, stemmed from what the union deemed a “derisory pay offer” from the company, which supplies numerous major UK retailers.
In response to accusations of inadequate wage increases, Bakkavor stated: “In September, Bakkavor put forward an improved offer of 7.8% for its lowest paid colleagues and 6.4% for all other grades – both of which exceed the national living wage and current inflation, which stands at 1.7%.”
The ongoing strike involves over 700 Unite union members at the Spalding facility, but Bakkavor claims that only about 450 individuals are not reporting to work, while over two-thirds of the workforce—more than 950 employees—continue to fulfill their duties.
Bakkavor has since proposed a “discretionary £350 ($451.54) bonus” for each employee at the Spalding site, in addition to a previously announced “inflation pay rise.” The company highlighted that wages for its lowest-paid workers at Spalding have risen by 22.8% over the past three years, while all other grades have seen increases of 21.2%, significantly outpacing the UK’s CPI growth of 21% during the same period.
Nationally, Bakkavor reported broad acceptance of its proposed pay rises across its 20 UK sites, benefiting more than 13,500 employees. In a response to the company’s recent assertions, a Unite representative criticized Bakkavor’s messaging, claiming that the company is “running scared” and “fearmongering” to justify its position.
The spokesperson added, “While their CEO makes millions, their workers in Lincolnshire are relying on food banks to survive. This strike action has severely impacted production, leading to empty shelves in stores. Bakkavor must stop spreading misinformation and return to genuine negotiations with an acceptable offer for our members.”
Despite these disruptions, Bakkavor assured that the Spalding strike would not affect the UK’s Christmas food supply, as holiday offerings are produced at other sites across the country. Additionally, the company indicated that contingency plans are in place to minimize any short-term disruptions to soup production, typically handled at Spalding.
Bakkavor’s CEO, Mike Edwards, expressed, “Our offer of a pay rise and bonus to Spalding colleagues has now gone to a union ballot, with Unite recommending their members reject it. If a rejection occurs, we will reach out to find a way to structure these increases and bonuses on an individual basis. If accepted, this will lead to the implementation of new pay rates and back pay, along with the bonus before Christmas, which is the preference of most employees at Spalding.”
