A demonstration will take place outside Ginsters manufacturer Samworth Brothers’ head office in Melton Mowbray, according to the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU).
BFAWU regional officer George Atwall said its members, as well as those from unions Unite and the Trades Union Congress, local councillors and members of parliament are likely to be present at the demo on 26 June, to highlight their concerns about workers’ pay and conditions.
In April the company found itself at the centre of a row about pay and conditions, allegedly made to offset the National Living Wage, after Channel Four news claimed to have seen company documents concerning the cuts.
The move comes as Samworth Brothers, the manufacturer of Ginsters, said it had concluded its consultation with employees about a “more balanced and equitable pay structure”. It said it would be investing £5m in its pay bill each year over the next three years.
Samworth Brothers said in a statement: “This has been a collaborative process, during which we have continued to listen to and act upon feedback from our staff consultative committees.”
But at a meeting of BFAWU last week, Atwall said workers had asked for a breakdown of where the £5m a year was being spent: “No matter how many nice-sounding words Samworth Brothers use to dress up their continuing attacks on our members pay and conditions, there can be no doubt that, from start-to-finish, the entire consultation process has been a farce.”
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