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Food Firm Fire And Rehire Shame
Bev Clarkson Unite national officer
Food, drink and agricultural sector
LABOUR, LISTEN TO US Labour is back – but what does that mean
for us? Unite is now looking to Labour to put agriculture at the forefront of its plans and listen to the demands of the workers – and not the retailers.
First we need to see the re-introduction of the agricultural wages board for England. Farm workers in England are now among the lowest paid, with many relying on national minimum wage increases to get a pay rise.
Oscar Mayer – outrage over wage cuts
Food manufacturer Oscar Mayer caused outrage in June at its Wrexham plant by trying to force wage cuts of over £3,200.
Supplying Tesco, ASDA, Greggs, Lidl, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Co-op, Oscar Mayer wants to end paid breaks, remove Bank Holiday rates and time off in lieu, and change shift patterns to reduce pay.
The company told workers their current contracts will be terminated and they will have to either sign new inferior ones or refuse, losing possible redundancy payments.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said, “The way Oscar Mayer is treating its workers is an utter disgrace. Fire and rehire is consistently used by the worst of the worst employers and must be banned.
“Unite will not stand for Oscar Mayer’s thuggish behaviour and our members will receive their union’s maximum support.”
Unite has accused Oscar Mayer of taking advantage of workers at the plant to mask the full extent of the impact of the contract changes.
They have not allowed Unite to represent the workforce during the consultation process, leaving individual workers, some who speak English as a second language, without any guidance.
“Oscar Mayer must ensure these workers have proper representation by engaging in a genuine consultation process with Unite, which now represents a significant and growing amount of the workforce,” added Unite regional officer Jono Davies. If it doesn’t, then Unite will use every tool at its disposal to bring them to account.”
5 uniteLANDWORKER Summer 2024
Workers just aren’t interested in the sector anymore. Although the pay rates have never been the best, agriculture attracted workers in rural communities with the bonus of low rent housing. Sadly this is no longer the case with farm owners renovating previous workers’ properties and using them as Air bnbs and holiday lets.
Generations of farm workers are now leaving the countryside and moving to large cities for employment. The impact on local communities is devastating, with shops and pubs only opening during the summer months to attract the tourists. The bus services only running a few times a week, making it almost impossible to get to and from doctors’ surgeries and hospitals.
Labour must help the next generation of agricultural workers be able to afford to stay in the communities they’ve grown up in, where their heritage is. If they want to stay in government they need these votes, they need to show us they’re backing the workers, providing them with a decent wage and lifelong liveable accommodation that won’t be taken away from them by the wealthy landowners.
Unite wants jobs in agriculture and food production to be taken seriously. Proper training, apprenticeships. Proper wages and wages boards, recognition, growth. Proper health and safety. Proper PPE. Proper equalities, treatment of migrant workers. Proper accommodation for workers. Dignity, respect and fair pay. Not much really. Only the founding principles of the Labour Party.
Maybe they should remember that.
uniteLANDWORKER Comment
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