general news

UK: Weetabix staff to hold four-day strikes over pay & work conditions

Date: November 08, 2021 Sunil Jha Sunil Jha
UK: Weetabix staff to hold four-day strikes over pay & work conditions 
Workers at UK’s Weetabix Mills factory in Kettering, as well as Corby, will reportedly be holding a four-day strike starting Monday 08th Nov 2021 as part of a protest over worker disputes regarding pay and conditions.



Members of the trade union, Unite, who are employed at the two factories, have been on strike every Tuesday and Wednesday since the month of September. Now, they will only work on Fridays as part of their four-day strike action as allegations over the company’s supposedly ‘fire and rehire’ policy escalate.



Sharon Graham, the general secretary of Unite, has stated that Weetabix is attacking their member’s jobs, pay, and conditions, adding that the company is making enough profit to offer good wages and work conditions, threatening that until Weetabix drops its ‘corporate greed’, and end the fire and rehire, the dispute will continue to escalate from the union’s side. 



The union has claimed that the engineers working at the company are facing pay cuts along with changes to working practices, which could cause workers a loss of up to £5,000 a year. It has been reported that around 80 of the engineers working at the factories have taken part in the Tuesday and Wednesday strikes.



In response, Stuart Branch, Chief People & Digital Officer at Weetabix Food Company, stated that the company has maintained strong relations with its workforce ever since it was founded in 1932, and how the allegations reported by Unite is damaging to the brand’s reputation.



Branch further added that the company has repeatedly assured its staff as well as its union representatives that they will face no unfair dismissal, and are currently discussing for compensations for the change in shift patterns, which had been permitted in the worker’s existing contracts.



Weetabix accounts for 7% of cereal sales in the United Kingdom, employing around 2,000 individuals and exporting to more than 80 countries, with annual sales reaching up to £420 million.



Source credit: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/nov/08/weetabix-workers-to-hold-four-day-strikes-over-pay-and-conditions

About the author

View All Posts

Sunil Jha

Sunil Jha has been a part of the content industry for close to two years. Having previously worked as a voice over artist and sportswriter, he now focuses on writing articles for newsorigins.com, across a slew of topics, ranging from technology to trade and finance. With a business-oriented educational background, Sunil brings forth the expertise of deep-dive research and a strategic approach in his write ups.