Staff at 2 Sisters Food Company’s Corby facility have voted to strike in a dispute over pay and working conditions.

A total of 91% of the 59% of staff that are members of the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union voted in favour of the strikes, which will start in March.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Speaking to just-food today (29 January) the union’s regional officer for the Midlands, Tony Lewis, said staff were striking over the company’s failure to deliver a pay rise for “three, going on four years”. He added that the company was trying to implement a three-on, two-off shift pattern which workers were unhappy about. These decisions were being imposed without consulting staff, Lewis stressed. 

just-food reported last March on a strike at the same plant, over the same issues.

“Since then, nothing has changed,” said Lewis. “We were promised a pay rise in August (2013) and they’ve reneged on that.”

A spokesperson at 2 Sisters Corby declined to comment on whether staff had been offered a pay increase last year but confirmed there had been “no pay rise since 2011”.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Strikes will begin in March and will occur once a fortnight Lewis confirmed. The spokesperson at 2 Sisters Corby said the company had “no notification” of that, adding that it was something that would be negotiated based on “meeting the needs of customers”.

Lewis said: “We have told the employer we are willing to negotiate to resolve the issue. We want a pay rise for members and we want the employer to withdraw the proposed shift patterns. Some people have childcare and transport issues and it is difficult for most people.”

The spokesperson at 2 Sisters Corby said the company had been talking to staff for “some time regarding their terms and conditions” and had proposed a number of possibilities for the future based on improving business efficiency.

“One thing that has been reported is that we are making changes to the existing staff conditions without consulting them. That is something we would not do,” she added.