UK production of the snack favourites Jacob’s Cream Crackers and Twiglets is at risk after hundreds of workers went on strike at owner Pladis’s factory in Aintree, near Liverpool.
More than 750 of about 800 workers at the plant, who help make 4,000 tons of crackers every year, say they will strike until bosses agree to negotiate on pay.
The site, which has been operating for more than 100 years, was the first Jacob’s factory to be built in England and remains the primary facility for its products in the UK.
Workers say they were offered a pay rise of 4.25%, falling far short of their initial demand for a 10% pay rise – in line with inflation.
The GMB union, which is backing the strike, said workers had eased their demand to a rise of £1,750 each, amounting to an increase of about 9% for those on the lowest pay grade and less than 7% for more senior staff.
Pladis said it had offered an 8.9% pay increase over two years plus a one-off £500 cost of living payment.
The company said it was temporarily shifting some production to Portugal to ensure supplies in the run-up to Christmas after more than a month of dispute over pay at the UK factory. Workers in Aintree first took strike action in September but have now moved to a “permanent strike” over what they say is a “real-terms pay cut”.
Eamon O’Hearn, the GMB national officer, said: “These workers are rightly angry – they put themselves on the line to keep the company going during the pandemic.
“Now they need some help to get them through the cost of living crisis. But it’s falling on deaf ears. In fact, more than that, bosses are shifting an iconic British brand to Portugal to undermine their own workers.
“This kind of naked corporate greed in the run-up to Christmas is disgraceful.”
A spokesperson for Pladis said: “We regret that the GMB has decided to take this course of action, despite all of the efforts we have made to reach an agreement with the union. However, we want to reiterate that our door remains open to the GMB for further discussions with their representatives.”
The biscuit workers are the latest to take strike action amid an autumn of discontent as employers struggle to keep wages in line with soaring inflation.
Workers from rival biscuit maker Fox’s recently secured a 13.5% pay rise over two years after threatening strike action backed by the Unite union while those at Heinz’s condiment factory in Telford won an 11% pay rise this week.
Nurses, rail workers, university staff and postal workers have also been on strike in recent weeks or are expected to strike before Christmas in disputes over pay.
