BFAWU Members Strike at Gunstones Bakery, Sheffield!
Press Release re: Strike Action at Gunstones Bakery, Sheffield
The BFAWU strike at Gunstones (Sheffield) taking place from June 15th 2015 was called following the company’s decision to force through a pay freeze on staff at the site.
BFAWU members and officials had initially agreed with the company to keep any pay negotiations in abeyance due to over four-hundred redundancies being made. However, the company refused to offer staff an increase following the redundancy consultation period, citing the overall cost of the redundancies as a reason for non-movement on pay.
BFAWU members at the site subsequently balloted for industrial action, but gave the company a window of six weeks in order to negotiate further. Five days before the strike was due to take place, Union members at Gunstones met and made a proposal to the company that involved a pay increase of 4% over two years with no back pay.
The company refused this proposal and made it clear to BFAWU members and officials that any movement on pay would have to be ‘self-financing’, meaning that employees at the site may have to sacrifice existing terms and conditions in order to secure any increase. The BFAWU sees this as unacceptable and hopes that the company can review its position to avoid potential bitterness, resentment and the possibility of further action at the site.
For more information, please contact John Higgins Tel: 07739326012; email john.higgins@bfawu.org
posted by JOHN STOTT | 5sc
June 15, 2015SHARE
BFAWU Annual Conference 2015 Video Clips
This year’s BFAWU Annual Conference featured some great debates and a plethora of fantastic guest speeches, many of which have been captured for posterity.
For Arthur Scargill’s superb address to delegates, click here
For TV and film star, Ricky Tomlinson’s return to Conference to speak about the ‘Shrewsbury 24’ campaign, click here
To watch PCS General Secretary, Mark Serwotka in action, click here
To watch the newly elected MP for Leeds East and member of the BFAWU, Richard Burgon, click here
For staunch BFAWU supporter and MP for Hayes and Harlington, John McDonnell’s speech, click here
To watch the address made by Sri Lankan workers’ rights activist group, ‘Tamil Solidarity’, click here
For BFAWU General Secretary, Ronnie Draper’s opening address to Conference, click here
Thanks to all who took part and thanks also to Ronnie Irwin for the video footage. Visit the Irwin Video website: