Spalding: Bakkavor strike halted after fresh pay offer

Planned strike action by more than 700 workers at a food manufacturing firm has been suspended after a revised pay deal was put forward.

Production line staff at Bakkavor in Spalding, Lincolnshire, were set to walk out from 25 November until 2 January.

Unite the union said the strike would be postponed to allow workers to be balloted on the new offer.

Bakkavor said it offered a 7.5% increase in 2022 and 6.0% in 2023.

The company makes soups, sauces and deli produce for several supermarkets.

It supplies Sainsbury's, M&S, Tesco and Morrisons, and employs about 16,500 people at various sites across the UK.

The company had previously offered staff a 6.5% pay rise, which Unite called a "substantial pay cut" when taking the inflation rate into account.

Unite regional officer Ravinder Assi said: "Following fresh talks a further pay offer was made.

"The strikes scheduled to begin on 25 November have been suspended while workers are balloted."

A spokesman for Bakkavor said: "It is important for us to be able to offer our colleagues a fair and sustainable pay offer, along with wider benefits.

"At the Spalding site, our most recent offer of a two-year pay deal, with a 7.5% increase in 2022 and 6.0% in 2023, is competitive with the local market and provides colleagues with certainty.

"It also allows us to focus on our operational delivery, at a time when the trading environment remains challenging and significant inflationary headwinds are persisting."

Follow BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.