Princes has hit back at claims by Unite the union that ongoing strike action at its factories could lead to shortages of its products on supermarket shelves.
Angelo Mastrolia, chairman of Princes’ board of directors, acknowledged resolving the dispute was “becoming more difficult” despite “several months” of negotiations.
The supplier, however, rejected claims by Unite that strike action was “likely to lead to shortages in supermarkets and shops across the country”.
Princes Foods makes branded products including Branston and Crosse & Blackwell, as well as own-brand tins and jars of meat and fish.
“All affected sites have contingency plans in place and maintain adequate stock levels as a standard practice,” said Princes. “Daily dialogues with customers regarding availability, production, and transportation continue as usual, and there are currently no significant impacts on our product availability.”
Staff at a Princes’ drinks facility in Cardiff walked out on two occasions before Christmas, and this week industrial action has commenced across five plants, including the site in the Welsh capital.
Staff will strike on dates between 6 and 18 January at Princes’ facilities in Cardiff, Bradford, Glasgow, Long Sutton and Wisbech.
Unite said strike action was called after Princes’ new owner Newlat rescinded a pay offer for staff.
Staff had been offered a 4%-7% pay rise dependent on salary by Princes’ previous owner, Japanese conglomerate Mitsubishi, Unite claimed. After Newlat bought Princes in a £700m deal last summer, ownership had revised this to a 3% rise, it said.
Princes described its 3% offer as “fair and reasonable, following substantial increments granted in previous years”.
“At this time, a higher pay offer is not feasible without jeopardising price competitiveness for our customers and the long-term success of the company,” it said.
“We have engaged in discussions with the Union for several months, proposing an above-inflation pay rise and offering to backdate this to April 2024 during the negotiations,” insisted Mastrolia. “However, Unite has informed us that they would not permit the company to proceed in this manner.
“The board of directors of Princes and I fully understand our responsibility to care for our colleagues, but we have an equal obligation to ensure the long-term sustainability of Princes by focusing on cost management and being a competitive supplier in the UK’s food and beverage sector,” he added.
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