Industrial action threat at Menstrie food manufacturer
Industrial action threat at Menstrie food manufacturer over “significantly below inflation pay offer”
Production workers at Kerry Ingredients have voted overwhelmingly to move to a full industrial action ballot against a significantly below inflation pay offer as the country’s cost of living crisis deepens.
Following a consultation of GMB members at the food manufacturing giant’s Menstrie plant, workers unanimously rejected a 5.4 per cent pay offer for 2022/23 and backed the launch of a statutory ballot.
Kerry Ingredients supplies core ingredients to the food, drinks and pharmaceutical industry and is part of the Irish multinational Kerry Group which recently reported eye-watering revenues of €4.1 billion for the first six months of 2022 - an increase of over 13 per cent (see Notes to Editors).
The UK rate of inflation (Consumer Price Index) currently sits at 10.1 per cent and is forecast to climb significantly alongside energy bills this winter and into 2023.
GMB Scotland Organiser David Hume warned:
“Waves of industrial actions are affecting the economy because workers are demanding a meaningful response from employers to the biggest cost of living crisis in forty years, and workers at Kerry Ingredients are no different.
“They are justifiably worried about the prospects of soaring inflation and energy bills over the weeks and months ahead, and they want work to pay so they can keep their families fed and their homes warm.
“These are modest aspirations and on the back of revenues worth billions of euros it’s clear the employer can afford to sit-down with us to negotiate an improved offer that helps this workforce through the difficult times ahead.
“But make no mistake that support for a full industrial action ballot is a direct response from our members to the employer that a significant real-terms cut to their pay and conditions is not a credible offer from a booming multinational.”
ENDS
Contact: GMB Scotland Organiser David Hume on 07931 796733 or GMB Scotland Communications on 07976 447077.
Notes to Editors:
“City Snapshot: Food and drink reformulation drives Kerry Group sales surge”, The Grocer, 29 July 2022, access at: <<City Snapshot: Food and drink reformulation drives Kerry Group sales surge | News | The Grocer>>
