December 1, 2008
UK union strike could hit supermarket poultry supply
The planned strike by UK's biggest union regarding low pay on one of the country's biggest supermarkets may cripple chicken supplies to supermarkets
Two Sisters is one of the UK's biggest poultry products companies. Its three sites in the Midlands have a combined production of 1.5 million chickens per week.
Unite has expressed that the revised salary announced by Two Sisters as "shocking" and does not reflect the hard work the staff put in. The proposed wage raise is GBP214 (US$327.894) per week, eight pence (US$0.1225) an hour above the minimum wage for staff who work for a 37.5 hour week. Workers have to work split shifts between morning and afternoon.
Negotiations started in June but the company has not yet disclosed any financial figures to assist the negotiations.
Joe Clarke, Unite Regional Industrial Organiser said: "Our members work long, highly unsociable hours which hits their family life hard. Our members keep the supermarket chains producing good quality food and are only asking for a living wage in return. In the face of the company's derisory offer, we have no option but to ballot our members for industrial action and win them fair pay."
