Contract

Grocery Code Adjudicator: No extended remit

Government rejects calls to extend remit of GCA

By Michelle Perrett

The government has rejected calls to extend the remit of the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA), but has pledged to introduce measures to protect smaller suppliers, including a £10M collaboration fund.

The 12-week notice period commonly used for terminating retail supply agreements may be challenged more in the courts

Supplier notice periods come under scrutiny

By Rick Pendrous

The 12-week notice period commonly used for terminating retail supply agreements looks set to be challenged more in the courts, according to a legal expert.

Unauthorised modifications to fork lifts could prove costly, warns FLTA

Unapproved fork lift changes could invalidate warranties

By Rick Pendrous

Fork lift truck users have been warned by the Fork Lift Truck Association (FLTA) against making unauthorised modifications or repairs to trucks that could invalidate rental contracts and manufacturer warranties, leaving users to foot any repair bills.

Loma launches new suite of client services

Loma launches new suite of client services

Metal detection, checkweighing and X-ray inspection equipment supplier Loma Systems, which works with companies such as chilled foods specialist Bakkavor, has introduced a new suite of service agreements to complement its expanded range of aftermarket...

Dairy farmers have been struggling with plummeting milk prices

DAIRY CRISIS

Emergency dairy meeting held

By Rod Addy

An emergency dairy industry roundtable was held between government and trade representatives on February 11.

Darby: 'This innovative agreement will help us improve the efficiency of Premier's grocery infrastructure'

Premier Foods completes Specialty Powders deal

By Rod Addy

Premier Foods’s joint venture with Specialty Powders to produce powdered foods and drinks under contract at its Knighton factory has been completed on schedule.

Food manufacturers need to protect themselves against political instability – such as the Ukraine crisis

Food manufacturers should act over Ukraine crisis

By Michael Stones

Food manufacturers should protect themselves against political instability – such as the Ukraine crisis – and extreme weather by planning contractual protection, warns food law firm Roythornes.

Ainsley Harriott brand expands Symington’s range

Ainsley Harriet’s soup in a tub

The Ainsley Harriott brand has expanded its product range, made by Symington’s, with what is claimed to be the first-ever soup stored at ambient temperature and packaged in a tub. This novel approach from Clondalkin Group company Chadwicks means the products...

Rumours suggest Premier Foods might sell Hovis: one of its power brands

Mixed blessings as Hovis strike ends

By Rick Pendrous

Premier Foods’ senior management must have had mixed feelings following the agreement reached with the Bakers, Food and & Allied Workers Union (BFAWU) towards the end of last month.

Don’t get hammered. Manufacturers should guard against the risk of religious discrimination, following the growing number of cases brought by Christian workers

Rising number of Christian discrimination claims

By Gary Scattergood

Manufacturers need to be increasingly aware of putting their businesses at risk of accusations of religious discrimination when seeking to change employee terms and conditions, with a legal expert reporting a growing trend in the number of tribunal cases...

Teresa Dolan cautioned against adopting ‘the nuclear option’ of dismissing staff and re-employing them on new contracts

Food manufacturers warned about ‘nuclear’ HR policy

By Gary Scattergood

Food firms should be aware of the reputational and brand risks of using the “nuclear option” of dismissing staff and re-employing them on new contracts as a way of forcing through changes to employee terms and conditions.

First protest now praise. Farmers are pleased with Arla's dairy price plan

Farmers praise Arla's milk pricing plan

By John Wood

Arla Foods has won praise from farmers’ leaders after announcing a new pricing and sourcing strategy for milk, which starts with a significant increase in the price it will pay for milk.

Demonstrations by dairy farmers, such as the one outside the Highland’s first Asda reported by the BBC, look set to continue

Farmers threaten to maintain milk blockade

By John Wood

Farmers For Action (FFA) have vowed to continue blockading milk processing depots despite an agreement that has been struck between the National Farmers Union (NFU) and the milk processors’ trade body Dairy UK.

RF Brookes' owner, 2 Sisters, plans to cut 193 jobs at its South Wigston factory

2 Sisters’ RF Brookes to axe 193 jobs

By Freddie Dawson

Chilled food manufacturer RF Brookes – owned by the 2 Sisters Food Group – plans to cut 193 jobs at its factory in South Wigston, Leicestershire.

Future of Minsterley in doubt (picture courtesy of Shropshire Star)

Uniq bows out with £1.1M desserts deficit

By Graham Holter

Uniq’s troubled desserts division lost a further £1.1M in the past six months, prompting more doubts about the future of its Minsterley production site.

Longbenton Foods' Amble site has been locked-up since late December

Longbenton Foods still in frame for Amble site takeover, administrator

By Ben Bouckley

Longbenton Foods is still in the running to buy the former Northumberland Foods site in Amble, FoodManufacture.co.uk can reveal, despite a prior inability to complete the purchase that led to the administrator tearing-up a previous sale contract in January.

Thomas van Mourik

Culina eyes up retail primary distribution contracts

By Elaine Watson

Culina Logistics is looking to work more closely with retailers on primary distribution contracts (collecting goods from manufacturers or shared user depots on behalf of retailers for delivery into their regional distribution centres).

Beware those inflexible contracts

Beware those inflexible contracts

I had a call the other day to be a 'marriage guidance' counsellor for a third party logistics provider (3PL) and a customer who had fallen out over...