Pizzas could soon be in short supply following news that workers at a manufacturer in London are set to strike.
Bakkavor Pizza in Harrow is a supplier to well-known supermarket chains including Sainsburys and Waitrose, will face severe disruption after months of negotiations on pay ended with members of the GMB union rejecting a 5.9% pay deal.
Bakkavor Pizza’s predominately female workforce from ethnic Asian communities say it is time they had a decent pay rise.
Last week, GMB members working for Bakkavor Pizza took part in an indicative strike ballot with 78% of members rejecting the pay offer.
GMB will now take formal steps for a strike ballot that could mean pizza supplies will be severely disrupted for some of the high street’s popular supermarkets.
Trevlyn McLeod, GMB London region organiser said: “The Bakkavor Group reported an operating profit of £46.3m in its half-year report published on September 6, so GMB can see no reason why Bakkavor will not offer our members a decent pay increase.
“It’s not a good look for a large wealthy organisation to have some workers forced to turn to food banks because their rate of pay doesn’t cover their basic living cost.
“This decision for a GMB mandate for industrial action has not been taken lightly or without consideration by our members, they are determined to give Bakkavor the message that they want a better deal.
“Workers here believe they are worth more, they want their voices heard and that is why our membership numbers are increasing daily.
“Now that GMB has secured a strong mandate for Industrial action, it is hoped that Bakkavour Pizza at Harrow will finally recognise the value of their staff and how they have been impacted by the cost of living crisis and put forward an improved pay offer.”
joshuemd from Pixabay
