Lincoln catering company staff strike over pay

About 100 workers have gone on strike at Lincat, Unite said

Staff at a Lincoln catering equipment company have gone on strike over pay.

Workers at Lincat, which manufactures commercial kitchen appliances for restaurants and pubs, began a week-long walkout on Monday.

The Unite union said staff had "suffered years of erosion to the value of their wages" and were demanding an inflation-matching rise of 9.7%.

It claimed the firm was "rolling in cash". The BBC has approached Lincat for comment.

Staff picketed at Lincat's Whisby Road headquarters from 05:00 BST on Monday.

Unite said more than 100 of its members were striking, including staff in welding, assembly and safety testing. It said the company faced "serious disruption" and potential delays in fulfilling orders.

Lincat made £8.9m operating profits in the year to January 2022, according to its latest financial returns.

Productive operative Timothy Cheddarton, who was among those striking, said workers had been rewarded for the company's success with "a cupcake or quarter of a pizza every now and then".

"What we really want is fairer wages," he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Striking workers Timothy Cheddarton and Mark Wayne called for an inflation-matching pay rise

Mark Wayne, another production operative, urged the company to "listen to us".

"We're asking for a minimum wage increase of 9.7% - anything below that is a pay cut," he said.

"Being out here is hitting us in the pocket but we have to do it."

The workers plan to strike every day this week and will "intensify" industrial action unless the company makes an acceptable pay offer, Unite said.