Pilgrim's Europe employees in Enniskillen to strike for two further weeks in escalating pay dispute
Approximately 130 Unite members employed by a UK and European food company are set to escalate strike action at the company's Enniskillen site.
The union has served notice on Pilgrim's Europe of a further two-week strike commencing 6.30am on Monday, August 17 after a vote by workers on the picket line last Friday (August 7).
It comes after members completed five days of industrial action from 6.30am last Tuesday (August 4) until the same time on Saturday (August 8).
Unite says the industrial dispute centres around the failure of the employer to offer an inflation proof pay increase that addresses unequal pay for breaks. Morning shift workers are paid for only 15 minutes breaks while evening and night shifts are paid for 30 minutes.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said, “Pilgrims is a very successful company making huge after-tax profits. It can well afford to pay its workers properly but our members in Enniskillen are paid less than colleagues on sites elsewhere in the UK and little above the bare legal minimum.
"The workers will have the full and continuing support of Unite for as long as it takes to win pay justice and respect.”
Greg O’Kane, Unite regional officer said, “Our members are determined to secure an improved pay deal offering real protection from the cost-of-living crisis and ending the current inequality around paid breaks.
"They are set to escalate their strike to two weeks - management needs to return to the table with an offer meeting our members’ pay expectations to resolve this dispute.”