Park Cakes strike suspended as management return to the negotiating table

Article published: Thursday, November 10th 2011

Three days of strike action to defend the rights of agency workers at Park Cake Bakeries in Oldham and Bolton have been suspended following new offers of talks from the company’s management.

Members of the Bakers Food and Allied Workers union (BFAW) had won a ballot to protest at the company’s attempt to produce a “two tier” workforce. In September, before the introduction of new legislation to protect agency workers, Park Cakes Bakeries employed 30 staff on new contracts which included zero hour contracts with no guaranteed working, minimum statutory terms and no overtime payments or shift allowances.

BFAW members saw this as an attack on their much better terms and conditions and after negotiations failed balloted their members for strike action.

But just as the strike was due to go ahead Park Cakes offered a series of talks to resolve the issue.

A representative of BFAW said: “The strike is suspended and we hope the talks will resolve what we see as an attack on the conditions of all workers at [Park Cakes Bakeries]. But we have three more days planned for strikes in December if the Management fail to address this serious situation.”

Unions and employers are watching this dispute as it is seen as a test case for the wider issue of how the new laws covering agency workers will be enacted in many workplaces across the country.

Sheila Hulmes

Tweet

More: News, Unions and workplace

Comments

1. Hope it turns out well for the BFAW union and it’s members.

   CM

   Comment by CM on November 10, 2011 at 11:28 pm

2. I wonder what Lisa “I’m not a scab, honest” Ansell makes of this

   http://lisaansell.posterous.com/the-irony-of-middle-class-lefties-shouting-sc

   Comment by Delroy Booth on November 21, 2011 at 4:18 pm

3. @Delroy Booth

   As someone whose mother & grandmother were members of the bakers union, I can categorically tell you that they do NOT call other women workers ‘scabs’ if they cannot afford to lose a days pay because their children will go hungry etc. These women (these bakeries are 99% women workers) support each other, to a degree middle-class women can only dream of. I think I agree with Lisa Ansell, although I only read the article quickly – but if she’s saying some people can’t strike because old people/vulnerable/children etc will be at risk – then she’s absolutely right. The point is that the vast majority strike. Those who can strike – should do so. Middle-class liberals are the reason working-class people won’t join working-class movements. Could the middle-classes please educate themselves properly if they are going to get into their ultra-trendy working-class politics? It’s NOT a trendy ‘thing’ for the working-classes, it’s life or death, eating or starving!

   Again, Good Luck to the BFAWu and it’s members.

   CM

   Comment by CM on November 25, 2011 at 5:32 pm

4. Talks got them nowhere!!! the place is a joke!!!!
   They make up new rules as they go along & stick
   Two fingers up to the union! Strike should have gone ahead maybe then they would have got
   Somewhere! Wouldn’t want my dog to work there!!!

   Comment by Mariah on July 26, 2012 at 1:11 pm

The comments are closed.