Strike action at Park Cakes’ Bolton site has been averted after the company and the Bakers, Food & Allied Workers Union agreed to hold further talks.
Bakery workers had voted to walk out at the end of the month if management at Park Cakes refused to negotiate over a pay demand, while work-to-rule and an overtime ban was due to start this week. However, bakery union area representative Ian Hodson said strike action had been suspended while bosses investigated some of the pay issues.
“The company is still suggesting that it is not in a financial position to offer a pay increase, but it has accepted that we will be entering pay talks for next year,” said Hodson. “The concern was that there would be a pay freeze next year and our members weren’t prepared to accept that.”
A company spokesman said staff had voted in a postal ballot and, out of the 178 people entitled to vote, only 90 had done so with 63 of them voting in favour of industrial action. He said: “For the moment, industrial action has been postponed as the company is in ongoing discussions with the union and employees at the Bolton site.”
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