Pilgrim’s workers at the company’s Enniskillen meat plant in Northern Ireland are set for further strike action in an escalating dispute over pay and paid breaks.
A statement today (1 September) from the trade union Unite, which represents approximately 130 employees at the facility, said the all-out strike would start tomorrow at 06.30am local time.
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The dispute follows three weeks of industrial action at the Pilgrim’s Europe site, which supplies branded and private-label meat products to the UK and Irish markets.
Workers are seeking a “decent pay increase and an end to the current regime where morning shift workers are the only shift workers not getting fully paid breaks”, United claimed.
Morning-shift employees currently receive less paid break time than those working evening and night shifts, according to the union.
The lowest-paid workers earn £12.82 ($14.9) an hour, Unite said, 11 pence above the statutory minimum wage.
Pilgrim’s Europe said in its own statement that the company’s pay offers have been rejected by the union.
A spokesperson for the business said: “The company has already made a number of above-inflation pay offers, backdated as part of the proposals, which have been rejected by Unite. In addition, we have put forward proposals aimed at addressing concerns relating to paid breaks for day-shift employees.
“We continue to be available for further constructive dialogue with Unite and are focused on reaching an agreement that is fair, sustainable and in the best interests of our employees and the long-term operation of the site. We are grateful to our wider employees for their support in maintaining operations.”
The Enniskillen facility makes Fridge Raiders, Richmond sausages, and Mr Brains pork faggots, along with Denny sausages. It also produces vegan sausages.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said Pilgrim’s was “a hugely profitable company making massive profits while its workers earn just pennies above the bare legal minimum”.
“It can easily make its workers a fair offer but is choosing not to,” she added.
“Our members are determined to win an improved deal – they have the total support of Unite for as long as it takes to achieve that.”
Unite claimed Pilgrim’s Europe’s latest reported after-tax profit was £128m.
Unite regional officer Greg O’Kane said the dispute had already affected production and stocks and warned of potential supply disruption as schools return from the holidays and demand for lunchbox products increases.
“Management intransigence has left workers with no alternative but to escalate the strike,” he said.
Pilgrim’s Europe is part of Pilgrim’s Pride, in which Brazilian meat group JBS holds a majority stake.
It emerged last month that JBS had made a fresh move for full control of US-based Pilgrim’s Pride, four years after abandoning a previous bid.
The Brazilian meatpacker said it submitted a “non-binding” proposal to the Pilgrim’s Pride board to acquire the company’s remaining shares.
