Staff at Premier Food's Hovis Wigan bakery have voted in favour of strike action following the introduction of agency employees working on zero hour contracts which resulted in redundancies.
A two-week ballot was launched on August 6 by the Bakers Food & Allied Workers Union (BFAWU) after talks with management reached a stalemate.
At its conclusion yesterday, results indicated overwhelming support for strike action which will run for three weeks at the site which produces Hovis bread.
The dates are August 28 to September 4; September 11 to the 18 and the 25 through to October 2.
Speaking in a press statement, the BFAWU’s regional secretary Geoff Atkinson confirmed the action, stating the decision was not taken lightly and that staff had already lost hours and pay to avoid redundancies unsuccessfully.
“Further branch meetings will be held to extend the action unless the company comes to a satisfactory agreement with the Union on the withdrawal of agency labour from the site.”
“BFAWU members at Hovis, Wigan have not taken this decision lightly and have no desire to lose pay.”
The issue highlights the growing controversy over zero hour contracts, something Mr Atkinson said had reached “epidemic proportions.”
