April 6, 2023

 

Feed mill workers in England, UK, cancel strike after accepting pay deal

 

 

 

A strike, which was to happen in England, the United Kingdom, and held by 150 animal feed mill workers employed by ABN, has been called off after the workers voted to accept a two-year pay deal worth 13%.

 

Mill workers employed by the animal feed manufacturer, which is part of AB Agri, were due to strike from April 1 to April 7 over pay. The workers, who are based at mills in Suffolk, Norfolk, Oxfordshire, Fife, Devon, Lincolnshire and East and North Yorkshire, had rejected an initial pay offer of 4.5%.

 

Unite the Union said with the real rate of inflation running at 13.4%, this was a "significant real terms pay cut." Following talks between Unite and ABN, an agreement has now been confirmed and strike action has been called off.

 

The union said the deal also contains an agreement to allow union recognition across AB Agri's mills. Workers will receive a pay rise of 4.5% back paid from October 2022, together with a 1.5% lump sum. From September 2023, their pay will increase again by an additional 5.5%, with a further 2% in January 2024.

 

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "By standing together in their union, AB Agri workers won a much-improved pay offer and strengthened their collective bargaining position across the company.

 

"As this pay deal shows, Unite's renewed focus on defending and improving jobs, pay and conditions gets more cash in our members’ pockets."

 

- Farming UK

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