Food firm boss hits back at 'disruptive' union

The boss of a food manufacturing firm has hit back at a union for "encouraging" its members at a site in Spalding to maintain strike action.

Unite confirmed that continuous strikes would take place from 20 December at the Bakkavor site in Spalding over pay, with 86% of its members at the site voting for industrial action.

In a statement, the firm's chief executive Mike Edwards claimed the union was being "disruptive" in preventing the industrial action from "ending sensibly". Unite is calling for its members to be paid a "fair wage".

The BBC has contacted the union for a response to Mr Edwards' comments, but is yet to receive a response.

Bakkavor makes and prepares food products such as salads and ready meals for supermarkets including Tesco, Marks and Spencer and Waitrose.

The company said its improved pay offer to Spalding colleagues amounted to a 7.8% increase to the lowest paid workers and 6.4% across all other grades, with a discretionary £350 per head bonus available until the new year.

Mr Edwards said Unite had repeatedly made emotive claims "about the strength of our pay offer, which are based on false or misrepresented information".

He also criticised the union's claim the strike action could lead to supermarket shortages.

Mr Edwards said the "inaccurate and sensational dossier they prepared featured products we don't even make".

"Set against these attempts to damage our business, we have put forward a good pay offer to our colleagues," he added.

Despite what he called union efforts to fuel disruption, Mr Edwards said the majority of staff in Spalding were taking no part in the strike action, with more than 800 accepting the pay offer.

This included some striking workers who had chosen to end their dispute with the business, he added.

Earlier this month, Unite claimed workers had seen their pay decrease by 10.6% in real terms over the last three years.

The union is calling for an 81p an hour rise on average.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham previously said: "Hundreds of our members voted overwhelmingly for further strike action and they will have the full backing of Unite as they continue their fight for fair pay."

Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.