Unite members at the South Yorkshire site will walk out for a week in September
By PA Media & Tim Dale
BBC News
A union representing workers at KP Snacks has said staff are paid “peanuts” as it announced strike action.
The Unite union said workers in Rotherham would strike for a week from 5 September after its members voted 83% in favour of industrial action.
It said strikes would escalate if the firm did not improve its 8% pay offer.
KP Snacks said it believed the offer was “fair” and expressed disappointment that employees had rejected it.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite’s message to KP Snacks is if you pay your workers peanuts, expect strike action.
“The company has increased its profits by an astonishing 275% since 2018 but the workers’ pay has fallen 14% in real terms over the same period.
“That’s why workers are refusing to accept anything less than a pay deal which keeps up with the cost of living.”
‘Unprecedented’
KP Snacks, which began nut production in Rotherham in 1948 and employs 210 people in the town, said it had been advised by Unite representatives at its Hellaby site that the latest pay offer had been rejected.
Manufacturing director Mark Duffy said: “We believe that the offer of 8% with no strings backdated to April 2023 is fair, equitable and ahead of most pay deals this year within the industry.
“We are extremely disappointed to have reached this situation, which is unprecedented for KP, and had hoped to avoid the announced strike and resultant impact on colleagues.”
Mr Duffy said the firm was developing contingency plans to minimise the impact of strike action between 5 and 12 September on customers.
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