Workers at Jaffa Cake bars factory threaten ‘permanent strike’ over pay
MORE than 750 workers at the Jaffa Cake bars factory have threatened to stage a permanent walkout over pay until bosses agree to get back to the negotiation table.
Staff at the Aintree plant – who also make Jacobs Cream Crackers and Twiglets – have been taking limited industrial action since September over cost of living concerns surrounding pay.
However, the GMB union said they will walk out every single day until bosses get back to pay talks, accusing the snack brands’ parent firm Pladis Global of shifting production of Jacobs Cream Crackers to Portugal in a bid to undermine the strike. The Aintree plant make 14,000 tons of Jacobs cream crackers every year.
“These workers are rightly angry – they put themselves on the line to keep the company going during the pandemic,” GMB National Officer Eamon O’Hearn said.
“This kind of naked corporate greed in the run up to Christmas is disgraceful. Jacob’s workers will now be on strike 24 hours a day, seven days a week until the company comes back to the negotiating table.”
The union is demanding a 10 per cent pay increase for staff, to bring wages in line with inflation, which is running at 10.1 per cent.
The GMB said that workers have snubbed a 4.25 per cent offer during negotiations which have been ongoing for a year.
“We regret that the GMB has decided to take this course of action, despite all of the efforts we have made to reach an agreement with the union,” Pladis Global, maker of the household snack brands, told Morning Wire
“However, we want to reiterate that our door remains open to the GMB for further discussions with their representatives.”
The news comes as major companies like BT and Royal Mail continue to fend off strike action from the Communication Workers Union (CWU).
“We regret that the GMB has decided to take this course of action, despite all of the efforts we have made to reach an agreement with the union. Pladis Global, which owns Jaffa Cakes, said.