Union officials are due to re-ballot staff at a Burton’s Foods plant after workers rejected a pay offer from the UK biscuit maker.

On Saturday (13 August), employees at the site in Blackpool turned down an offer of a 6% pay increase. Workers were offered a 3% hike this year and another 3% rise next year.

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A spokesperson for the Bakers Food & Allied Workers Union said workers should have accepted what he described as a “good offer”.

However, he said the absence of three months back-pay in the new offer was likely to have been the reason why employees turned down the proposal.

No new pay offer will be made and the fresh ballot is due to take place on Friday, Monday and Tuesday.

Last month, staff at the site had voted to strike after rejecting an offer of a 1.5% increase. However, industrial action was called off after both sides decided to resume talks.

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Burton’s Foods expressed its disappointment with the outcome of the union’s ballot on Saturday.

“Burton’s Foods and BFAWU representatives both felt the latest offer was a reasonable compromise and it is unfortunate that Union members voted narrowly in favour of rejecting the offer,” a spokesperson for the company said.

“Burton’s Foods remains committed to working collaboratively with union representatives to find a negotiated settlement.”

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