Workers at a Princes Foods’ drinks factory in the UK city of Cardiff are set to hold two days of strike action in the run-up to Christmas.
According to the Unite union, nearly 200 staff will take part in the strikes, which have been lined up for 17 December and Christmas Eve.
Unite said the plans for strike action follow a move by Princes’ new owner to rescind a pay offer for staff.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Newlat need to get back round the negotiating table before its customers discover they would not have any products on their shelves. Our members work in back-breaking roles on low pay and want a fair slice of the pie.”
The manufacturing facility, acquired by Princes in 1993, employs 250 people. It produces ambient, chilled and mini fruit juices for Princes and customer brands.
Unite said its members, including line operatives and engineers, are acting after pay offers put forward by Princes were then withdrawn by Newlat, which acquired the UK-based food and beverage group earlier this year.
According to the union, before the takeover, Princes had offered increases of 4-7%. Newlat now proposes a 3% rise.
The union said the employees are “furious at such behaviour” and efforts to talk with the employer have failed.
Just Drinks has approached the manufacturer for comment.
Newlat, based in Italy, purchased Princes from Japan's Mitsubishi for £700m ($893.6m) in May, completing the acquisition in July.
Following the deal, Newlat said it expected proforma sales of approximately €2.8bn during the financial year, with an adjusted EBITDA of about €188m.
Unite national officer for food, drink and agriculture Paul Travers said: “Newlat borrowed huge sums of money to buy Princes and is now looking to cut corners and penny pinch to pay that money back.”
Staff at other Princes factories in Long Sutton, Wisbech, Bradford and Glasgow have also voted in favour of strikes. The dates for action are set to be announced soon, Unite said.
Travers added: “Newlat can avoid this strike, which is one of their own making, by coming back to the negotiating table with a new and improved pay deal for our members.”
