1,200 workers to strike at 2 Sisters

SOME 1,200 workers at the 2 Sisters Food Group in the West Midlands will be staging three days of 24-hour strikes, after voting nearly unanimously for industrial action.

The first 24-hour strike will start at 6am on Friday when workers will walk-out in a dispute over pay and conditions.

Union Unite balloted its members at the Bevan Way and Dial Lane sites in Smethwick and the Lincoln Street plant in Wolverhampton.

The workers voted by 98.5% for strike action and 97.2% for industrial action short of a strike. The turn-out was 57%.

The second strike will be held on December 18 and the third strike is scheduled December 21.

There will also be a continuous overtime ban, non-cooperation and work-to-rule from Friday.

Unite regional officer Des Quinn said: “The workers at 2 Sisters have voted overwhelmingly to take a stand against a paltry pay offer.

“The near unanimous vote in favour of strike action is the strongest possible message to management that they need to sit down and negotiate in good faith.

“The management should be under no illusion at the depth of anger that our members feel at the way they have been treated for far too long by this company.

“Unite is willing to hold talks with the company in the days ahead to achieve a fair and equitable settlement on the pay issue and other matters that are of vital concern to our members.”

2 Sisters supplies poultry, fish, chilled, bakery and frozen products to the retail, food service and food manufacturing sectors.

The business was founded by entrepreneur Ranjit Singh Boparan and owns Northern Foods and the Harry Ramsden’s fish and chip shop chain.