Joint Unite-BFAWU picket lines ‘rock solid’ 24-7 as workers stand determined to win equal pay with British colleagues

Hovis bread products increasingly absent from shelves across Northern Ireland stores as production stoppage enters fourth day

Sean McKeever, Regional Officer for Unite called on management at Hovis to see sense and avoid extending the bread shortages already to be witnessed across stores in Northern Ireland.

“The stand and determination shown by Hovis workers in both Unite and the Baker’s union has been inspirational to workers across Northern Ireland. Entering the fourth day of this strike action, the socially-distanced picket lines remain rock solid, 24 hours a day. These workers are determined to win their objective of pay parity with Hovis workers in Great Britain – and that means a 10 percent pay increase. 

“Management totally misread the determination of these workers and made no serious effort to address their just expectation for equal pay. Why does Hovis think Northern Ireland bread manufacturing workers deserve 10 percent less than workers in Great Britain? These are frontline essential workers who continued production throughout the pandemic lockdowns to ensure bread was on every table. They are not accepting second-class pay from Hovis simply because they live and work in Northern Ireland. 

“With reports mounting that Hovis bread products are missing from shelves in supermarkets and retail stores across Northern Ireland, we are calling on management to see sense and address their employees’ demands. Continued failure to do so will mean that the bread shortages will extend further in coming days. These workers are organised and they are not going anywhere; they are determined to win fair pay”, Mr McKeever concluded.