Factory workers walk out over pay offer 'insult'

Dozens gathered on a picket line at Bakkavor's site in Spalding

Hundreds of factory workers have gone on strike over a pay offer described as "an insult".

Unite the Union said more than 700 members of staff at Bakkavor in Spalding walked out earlier.

The company makes and prepares food products such as salads and ready meals for supermarkets including Tesco, Marks and Spencer and Waitrose.

In a statement, it said it was "disappointed" by the strike in Spalding, as pay offers had been accepted at its other 20 sites.

Bakkavor offered 7.8% pay rises to its lowest paid workers, 6.4% to other workers and recently offered an additional one-off payment of £50.

Unite's General Secretary Sharon Graham said "our members are rightly angry after years of below-inflation pay rises, the most recent offer is an insult".

Sam Hennessy, Unite's regional officer, added: "These are skilled individuals and they deserve a fair pay rise."

• What is the National Living Wage?

The union previously warned strike action "could lead to supermarket shortages".

In a statement, Bakkavor said it had "put a good pay offer forward, one that helps ensure that even the lowest-paid colleagues get paid well above the National Living Wage".

Sadie Woodhouse, general manager at Spalding, added: “We respect the role that unions play generally in protecting workers’ rights. However, it makes no sense for a union to call for a strike against a business that is already looking after its people, creating employment in the local community, investing in training and putting forward above-inflation pay rises."

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