Supermarket meal deals are under threat at Asda, Morrisons, Aldi, Co-op and Boots as hundreds of workers at the UK’s largest sandwich supplier have voted to strike over “poverty levels of pay”.
More than 500 workers at Greencore – who supply sandwiches to major supermarkets and food outlets – are demanding an increase to their £10.53-an-hour pay.
The strike is said to go on for almost a month, from September 11 to October 9, unless a deal is made with staff members on their hourly rates.
Recent data revealed that Greencore made 975m sandwiches last year, supplying food chains at major supermarkets and high street chains such as Starbucks.
The food supplier found that 52% of sandwiches that are bought in supermarkets are part of a meal deal combo – which typically includes a drink and snack – compared with 46% last year.
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Unite union says the strike at Greencore’s Manton Wood site in Worksop, Nottinghamshire is likely to lead to a shortage of sandwiches on the shelves across the UK.
In October, Greencore reported full-year revenue of £1.7b — up from £1.3b in 2021. The supplier said it had been in talks with the union over pay since January and was disappointed a pay offer was rejected.
General secretary of Unite Sharon Graham said: “Their employer, while making substantial profits, sees fit not to share the spoils with its workers.”
Unite’s Andy Shaw added: “It is not too late to avoid this action, if the company remembers where its profits come from and heads back to the negotiating table with an improved pay offer.”
A spokesperson for Greencore said: “Having been in discussions with union representatives regarding pay in respect to colleagues at our Manton Wood site since January, we are disappointed that Greencore’s final pay offer, which we believe to be both strong and competitive, has been rejected by union members on a small turnout.
“We will be undertaking a number of planning and mitigation measures at the site in the coming weeks in order to prevent any disruption to service levels for our customers should potential industrial action take place.
Meanwhile, earlier this year both Tesco and Waitrose introduced a premium meal deal for £5.
