The union representing Warburtons employees is consulting with its members to see if it should push ahead with possible strike action after the UK baker offered baking staff a pay rise of 2%.

The Bakers Food & Allied Workers union is conducting a consultative ballot to determine if its members will accept the pay increase proposed by the company or if they would favour strike action against the group, BFAWU national president Ian Hodson told just-food.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

“The company have offered 2%. Our members are asking for an inflation increase. Any additional changes should be over and above that figure,” Hodson insisted today (2 July).

If BFAWU members vote in favour of a strike, the union will hold further talks with the company to first see if they will increase their offer and then “move straight to a strike ballot”, Hodson revealed.

However, Warburtons insisted that its proposed pay increase was “fair and reasonable”.

“We believe that after four months of negotiations and in the context of a highly competitive market, our proposal to offer a basic pay rise, along with modest improvements in other areas to fund a further increase, is both fair and reasonable,” the company said.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

However, the firm also indicated that it would consider improving upon its current offer.

“Warburtons is committed to continued negotiation with the BFAWU to determine how the current offer can be improved,” the company said.

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact