Trade union Unite has paused a planned strike at ABP Food Group’s Craigavon plant in Northern Ireland.
The union said yesterday (23 October) it had received an “improved” proposal from the Ireland-headquartered meat processor and is balloting its members on whether they will accept the new offer.
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More than 150 workers had voted “overwhelmingly” to take industrial action in a dispute over pay.
The stoppage at the site, which supplies retailers including Tesco and Sainsbury’s, was scheduled to start at midnight on Monday (27 October).
A spokesperson for Unite said staff would vote on the revised offer “in the coming days”, adding: “Once we have that result we will issue a follow-on statement and that is likely to detail the improvement.”
Announcing the strike action last week, Unite said ABP Food Group’s earlier offer included a 3% pay rise, a one-off cash payment of £100 ($134), and a further 3% increase from April 2026. The union said that offer amounted “to a real-terms pay cut”.
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By GlobalDataAt the time, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “ABP’s success has been built by workers. The company can well afford to pay a decent pay increase but instead is choosing to squeeze our members’ living standards to maximise profits.”
According to the company’s website, ABP Food Group operates 19 beef sites in the UK, with additional beef facilities in Ireland and Poland.
The privately owned business also supplies lamb and pet food.
