All-out strike action to commence at Allied Bakeries from 6am tomorrow

Workforce strike action seeks to lift basic pay significantly above minimum wage

Susan Fitzgerald, Regional Coordinating Officer called for the public to support workers forced into taking an all-out strike for a fair pay set to commence from 6 am tomorrow.

“Over the past days, Unite representatives have made ourselves available to Allied Bakeries in an attempt to avoid what will be an unnecessary and disruptive strike action but the company bosses have shown no willingness to address the workers’ demand for fair pay. They have left the workers with no alternative but to go to the gates tomorrow morning.

“Workers in the Bakery sector are low paid, only making up a living income by working unsocial shifts and meeting challenging bonus targets; basic pay is little above the bare legal minimum. In recent weeks, workforces at Hovis and Allied Bakeries each voted overwhelmingly for strike action to win a decent pay uplift. While Hovis bosses averted a pending strike action by providing a four percent uplift, those at Allied Bakeries are offering only 2.5 percent.

“The picket lines will be placed at the gates of Allied Bakeries’ Castlereagh Road site from 6 am tomorrow morning. This all-out strike will see workers forced onto freezing picket lines for continuous action that will significantly impact both pancake production ahead of Pancake Tuesday and revenue for the company. The blame for this entirely avoidable outcome lies squarely with the bosses.

“Unite is calling for the public to show their support for Allied Bakeries’ workers who are foregoing pay to win respect and fair pay”, Ms Fitzgerald said.