Unite claims a strike by Hovis drivers planned for this week in south-west England will lead to bread “shortages” in affected areas of the UK.
The industrial action is scheduled for this Thursday 24 September at the Hovis plant in Avonmouth, Bristol, with the union warning deliveries of bread, buns and muffins will be impacted as far afield as the West Midlands.
Hovis Bakeries, a new unit recently formed by the parent company Associated British Foods (ABF) following this year’s acquisition of the business, disputes Unite’s suggestion that the strike will cause shortages.
“Plans are in place to minimise any impact on our retail customers and we don’t anticipate there being any significant or lasting shortages as a result of the action,” a spokesperson for Hovis Bakeries informed Just Food.
The union said around 60 Hovis Bakeries’ distribution drivers from Avonmouth will take part in the walk-out, which could go on “indefinitely” if a pay agreement is not reached, claiming “thousands of loaves of bread are made at the site each hour”.
Hovis Bakeries, which emerged from the amalgamation of the ABF business Allied Bakeries, has offered a 3% pay increase to the drivers but Unite said it is insufficient based on the retail price index (RPI) inflation rate of 3.4%.
Unite is also calling for a settlement in line with extra benefits offered to Hovis drivers at the company’s Belfast plant in Northern Ireland.
They include a commission of two pence per product for all goods sold, along with a premium pay rate during public holidays of 50% above the “contracted basic hourly rate for those who work over five designated holidays, including Boxing Day and New Year's Day”.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said in a statement: "Hovis is owned by an incredibly profitable company and can more than afford to pay the same rates to its Avonmouth workers.
"Instead of favouring one group, it needs to stop prioritising greed and extend benefits to other workers.”
Hovis Bakeries drew attention to the difficult trading environment in the UK bakery sector of late, when asked to comment on the strike by Just Food.
Higher energy prices from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the more recent blockade of the Strait of Hormuz have presented a particular challenge for bakery manufacturers to operate baking ovens and driver fleets.
ABF put its Allied Bakeries unit, which included the Kingsmill and Sunblest brands, up for review in April last year due to a “very challenging market”, characterised by lower volumes and operating losses for the parent.
Four months later, ABF snapped up Hovis in a deal eventually cleared this year by the UK competition watchdog, which had warned of the collapse of Allied Bakeries if the transaction was not approved.
The Hovis Bakeries’ spokesperson said today (22 September) that it believes the 3% pay increase offer is “fair and responsible” following ongoing negotiations since April with the Avonmouth drivers.
“We’re disappointed that some of our employees are now planning on taking industrial action, especially given the well-publicised economic challenges facing the UK bakery sector, as well as the important work that is underway to bring together Allied Bakeries with its recently acquired Hovis business,” the spokesperson said.
“We remain focused on reaching an agreement that works for everyone and negotiations continue with our employees and their union representatives.”
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