Northamptonshire Weetabix workers to double strike days

Weetabix has said it needs to change the way it works to remain competitive

Strikes by Weetabix engineers over changes to shift and working patterns are due to double from two days a week to four.

Picket lines are in place at Burton Latimer and Corby in Northamptonshire, with workers saying proposed changes could leave them up to £5,000 per year worse off.

The Unite union said Weetabix was "serving corporate greed".

Weetabix said it was confident a resolution could be found.

The strike action started in September at the Weetabix Mills factory in Burton Latimer, and at its plant on the Earlstrees Industrial Estate, Corby.

Unite said the strike action, which started in September, had cause delays to production of Weetabix

Around 80 engineers have been on strike every Tuesday and Wednesday since then.

Unite announced that from 8 November, those days would double to also include Mondays and Thursdays.

The union said the action had already "closed production lines and put orders several days behind schedule".

• Weetabix engineers go on strike in pay row

• Unite leader joins Weetabix engineers' picket line

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Weetabix is making bumper profits so there is no justification for these 'fire and rehire' attacks on our members' wages and conditions.

"They are just not swallowing what in reality is a serving of corporate greed."

Labour MP for Brent North Barry Gardiner joined Weetabix engineers on the picket line in Burton Latimer earlier in the dispute

Unite regional officer Sean Kettle added that members were "determined" to "fend off these unjustified pay grabs".

A spokesperson from the Weetabix Food Company said the business respected the right of its engineering team to go on strike, but said it was "unfair and inaccurate to compare our discussions with our engineers over changes permitted within their existing contracts to other disputes that require new contracts to be signed or face dismissal".

The company said its plans involved the "standardisation of existing shift patterns", which it said would lead to an increase in take-home pay.

The spokesperson added: "While the voluntary choice of moving to a working pattern during the day does not come with the same level of shift premium for obvious reasons, the proposal is very much in line with other similar businesses."

The two factories also produce Alpen, Weetos and Oatibix.

Weetabix is owned by Post Holdings Inc, the US cereal giant.