Unite explained that the ballot was called after Oscar Mayer fired a group of workers that sent a letter to the firm which said that they would be “working under duress under the revised terms the company wants to impose”. The ballot will close on 20 February.
According to the trade union, around 550 Oscar Mayer employees have been involved in strikes since September 2024 in response to attempts by the firm to “fire and rehire” workers and cut pay by up to £3,000 in the process.
This figure is disputed by Oscar Mayer, who said that the change to “T&Cs” will result in an average loss of £20 per week for affected employees.
The current strikes are set to continue into March, after which further action will depend on the outcome of this latest ballot.
The employees involved in strikes to this point manufacture a range of ready meals that are sold by retailers including Co-op, Tesco, Asda, Aldi, Waitrose and Sainsbury’s.
Protests were held outside the offices of Oscar Mayer owner Pemberton Asset Management and Co-op last year, but the dispute is yet to be resolved.
“Oscar Mayer’s workers and Unite won’t back down,” said Unite general secretary Sharon Graham.
“Corporate greed is driving this disgraceful and unnecessary attack on already low paid workers. It is behaviour that should have no place in our society.”
Unite regional officer Jono Davies added: “This dispute can end tomorrow but that can only happen if Oscar Mayer engages in meaningful discussions with Unite to find a solution that is acceptable to our members.”
‘2,500 jobs saved’
In response to Unite, Oscar Mayer said that the changes to employee terms come in the context of the “commercial challenges faced by the business”.
“Operational changes implemented by the management of Oscar Mayer and significant capital injections by Pemberton have saved over 2,500 jobs,” a spokesperson said.
“The recent changes to employee terms, which resulted in an average loss of £20 per week for impacted employees, were triggered by the loss of a significant contract, which represented 25% of the business volume at the Wrexham production facility.
“The alternative would have been a reduction in capacity at the Wrexham production site, resulting in a large number of redundancies, impacting up to 500 employees. Under these circumstances, the changes introduced are absolutely necessary to ensure that Oscar Mayer can continue to be a long-term sustainable business and protect jobs in the local community.”
The firm also announced that it is establishing a permanent on-site shop presence that will enable workers to purchase a range of grocery and household items at an average discount of 50%.
