Princes’ chairman has expressed disappointment with Unite the Union’s approach to an ongoing pay dispute as it calls for a resolution.

Last week, Unite said that factories in Bradford, Wisbech, Long Sutton and Glasgow would see strikes, as well as additional walkouts in Cardiff, which already saw industrial action take place last year, if the company failed to come back to the negotiating table with an improved offer after Christmas.

Princes has responded that it believes its offer of a 3% pay increase for 2024 is “fair and reasonable”, following “substantial” increments granted in previous years, including a 2.5% pay increase in 2021, a 7% rise alongside a 4.1% one-off cost of living payment in 2022, and an 8% hike in 2023.

The canned food and drinks manufacturer’s chairman of the board of directors Angelo Mastrolia said: “It has become increasingly clear that resolving this dispute with Unite is becoming more difficult.

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“We have engaged in discussions with the union for several months, proposing an above-inflation pay rise and offering to backdate this to April 2024 during the negotiations. However, Unite has informed us that they would not permit the company to proceed in this manner.”

The tuna giant said that it continues to face challenging market conditions and rising employer costs, with changes to the Living Wage adding approximately £1,800 per full-time employee in 2024 and it anticipates further employment cost increases this year, such as the rise in Employer National Insurance contributions.

Princes added that as it also faces growing competition and pricing pressures, at this time, a higher pay offer is “not feasible without jeopardising price competitiveness” for its customers and the long-term success of the company.

Despite Unite having warned last week of potential disruptions to food supply as a result of strike action, Prices has confirmed that there are currently no significant impacts on product availability and that all affected sites have contingency plans in pace and maintain adequate stock levels as a standard practice.

Mastrolia added: “The board of directors of Princes and I fully understand our responsibility to care for our colleagues, but we have an equal obligation to ensure the long-term sustainability of Princes by focusing on cost management and being a competitive supplier in the UK’s food and beverage sector.”