Burton’s Foods faces Blackpool reballot

By Ben Bouckley

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags Burton’s foods Burton's foods

Burton’s Foods faces Blackpool reballot
Staff at Burton’s Foods in Blackpool will vote on a revised pay deal for the second time after initially rejecting the company's offer, FoodManufacture.co.uk understands.

A company spokesman said that he understood the union was planning to reballot the 202 staff affiliated with the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU) from Friday and into early next week.

The Devonshire Road site produces brands such as Jammie Dodgers and Wagon Wheels, Maryland Cookies and Cadbury Fingers.

BFAWU regional officer Roy Streeter told FoodManufacture.co.uk last week that the union was holding a branch meeting on Saturday to discuss the way forward, after staff narrowly voted down a 6% pay deal.

Streeter said he understood that union members were upset that three months of back pay was not included within the new deal.

At the end of July, the BFAWU said that Burton’s Foods’ latest offer was “as fair as we ​[the union] can get from the company”.

Reasonable compromise

The basic deal terms involve a 3% pay rise for members now and a further 3% rise in January. Planned stike action was suspended when the BFAWU endorsed the deal.

After the 6% deal was rejected a Burton’s Foods spokesman said: “The company is disappointed by the outcome of the union’s ballot on the revised pay package.

“Burton’s Foods and BFAWU representatives both felt the latest offer was a reasonable compromise and it is unfortunate that union members voted narrowly in favour of rejecting the offer.”

He added that the company remained committed to working with the union to negotiate a settlement to the dispute.

The rejection of the deal marked a blow for BFAWU officers, who welcomed it in the aftermath of near strike action in July.

175 out of 202 union affiliated workers balloted by the BFAWU on June 20 voted in favour of strike action, after rejecting an initial 1.8% settlement.

The BFAWU was unavailable for comment as we went to press.

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